Clacton Mark

I have used a SKYPE phone for 6 months, the only cost is the phone 18euros from a shop in BAHIA SUR. I have not paid anything else. can't work out how they earn from you,if you only call SKYPE TO SKYPE

julian_m

I use Sipgate for a business line over my broadband internet connection. I'm using it here in the UK, but being VOIP it should work from anywhere. It isn't free, you top it up with £10 credits, but the call charges are cheaper than Skype. You can get a free local UK number for people to call you. It uses open protocols not the proprietary Skype protocols, so you can buy a broadband router with VOIP support such as a Fritz box that lets you plug a regular phone into it, so you can make and receive calls even while the computer is off.

There is also a nonprofit site called voipuser.org. It's a bit oriented to techies interested in VOIP stuff. You get a free 0844 number for incoming calls, and build up a credit using it, which then allows you to make free calls of up to 10 min duration to the UK, US and several EU countries. You can also get a free 0870 fax to email number.

Beachcomber

I use Sipgate as well. The only problem is that if you sign up with an IP that is outside of the UK you are limited to an 0845 or 0870 number.

If you sign up in the UK you can choose a number from virtually any British town and subsequently use it from a foreign location.

Cleri

I use jajah cos in Portugal we get a miserly international download limit on skype,from good old PT
Jajah just connects landline phones by computer,free.Bonus that you use the home phone too

julian_m

That's a pain. Perhaps you could get round the restriction by signing up using this UK based anonymous proxy: https://proxify.co.uk/ ?

Beachcomber

Thanks, I will try that when I have the time. The only thing I find with most proxy servers is that although they disguise your real location they are usually located outside of the UK any way so you are left with the same problem.

I have been trying to find a UK proxy server that will allow me to listen to UK radio stations that have had to limit their availability outside of the UK in order to comply with some ridiculous ruling by PPL and PRS, so far without success.

If you can help with this I would very much appreciate it.

julian_m

proxify.co.uk seems to have an IP from a UK block. If that doesn't work, then I seem to remember that you don't need to give credit card details to create a Sipgate account (because you can use it for free computer - computer calls.) So you could get someone in the UK to set up an account.

Check the features you get with a paid proxify account. You can certainly download all the popular audio format types.