Paul in Victoria

I don't know how I could have afforded to keep in touch with home whilst over here on my own, st the moment.
I bought a cheap skype/voip phone, plug in and your away.
Lots of my friends and family have got the same and I can keep in touch no problem.

I have had a bit of echo when on the phone for over 1/2hour.
easy, ring off, then phone straight back, line back perfect.


I would definitely recommend going down this route.
I know it doesn't cost a great deal to call UK, but why pay when you can it for FREE!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul in Victoria

Skype 3G not available in Canada.

It's basically a mobile + skype

Canada Dreams

POO :curse:

YYZlover

http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/3skypephone/

But not available in Canada. Neither is the 3 network.

You might be able to get a plugin to your existing phone and use that but won't be free as goes on dataplan.

cornmatthew

www.voipdiscount.com is good for calling back to the UK. Along with the dozen or so other brand names that company uses.

Adding $15 or so credit gives you a few months of free calls to UK landlines and various other destinations.

You install an application on your computer, and the other end just needs a normal phone.

If you're feeling adventurous, they support SIP, so you can use a VOIP phone or adapter instead of your PC or Mac.

Canada Dreams

this is getting complicated now

ctcrm

ive used skype a lot and saved money calling canada from the uk, as someone said its 0.012p a min.... very easy to use and the video is very good too, better than doing it through msn messenger. Ive got a bog standard phone which was about 8 quid from the internet.

certainly will be getting it for the outlaws when we go.

Ramsey

Be careful with 3G in general as there are different technologies in different countries which are of course, incompatible! (NZ and Canada have different technologies for sure!)


If you have a PDA style phone with wi-fi, you can get skype working for free if you are in a wi-fi hotspot (Starbucks, etc)

Ramsey

You can get phones which are both skype and landline and dont require your pc to be switched on.

You plug your network cable and a phone line intop the box and the handset itself is wireless so you can use it all over.

They are good as they are always on!

http://www.consumer.philips.com/cons...e+VOIP8411B-37

The Hampsons

We use SKYPE via our laptop to talk to friends in New Zealand.
We just downloaded the FREE software from SKYPE.Com and rely on the laptop speakers, microphone and webcam.
Sound quality is generally very good.
Since you'll probably have a laptop/pc with a broadband connection, you may as well get the software for nothing and give it a try.
If you're parents have a pc, get them to download it and pre-arrange a time to talk each week. Webcams can give them the chance to see their grandchildren grow up, even though they may be several thousand miles away.

Canada Dreams

yep will give this a go i think, i just need to get the parents broadband, you know what the old folk are like, stuck in there ways, (dial up)

pinkmcfarquhar

Do use Skype to keep in touch with technical members of the family and find it really good, particularly with nieces/nephews. Doesn't work too well with my mum though - she just goes - oh it's you, you're really there, and just smiles and waves. ah well, at least she doesn't cry anymore which is what she did for the first wee while.

YYZlover

I used three for a very short while in UK and hated the carrier. I know loads of people here in Sweden using three and that is where I would be using it. I have a vodafone sim for germany and a rogers for canada already in place and an unlocked blackberry for the purpose of using those sims.

The three paygo requires 3G phone sp that is what I will have to get. at £0.03/SEK 0.18 (which is almost 3 cents canadian) can't even be beat by skype, unless I get an unlimited skype world wide account, which I could get but it won't work on mobile and I'm sorry to say that I won't be shouting "hello, can you hear me" to prospective employers down a skype line. :-)

Ramsey

All I ment was is that there are a number of 3G systems in play around the world. They are not all compatible. The GSM 2G part of your phone will work worldwide (depending on the band coverage), but not nec. the 3G part.

My NZ 3G phone only has 2G functionality here in Canada.

terese677

We use skype to keep in touch with family and friends. I wouldn't be without it especially for my little one who doesn't understand why she can't go to visit Grandma, but she loves to see and talk to her.
I would recommend it to others
Terese