The word “free” is a misnomer in the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) landscape, for there is probably no player in that industry that offers absolutely free VoIP calls. There are usually some strings attached. And even though it is entirely possible to make free calls over the Internet, you are most likely to pay Internet connection charges, thus negating any notion of “free” calls. The next best thing is paying some very-low prices (compared to mobile and landline phones’ charges) to make voice calls that are unlimited by geography or billing time. So, from that understanding, it would perhaps be too optimistic to expect free VoIP calls at the moment, and the way to move forward would be to choose a service provider that captures most of your communication needs.

For one, most organizations that offer VoIP services will only allow you to make free calls within their own networks, and users are also required to use specific devices (like PC-to-PC calls offered by Gizmo, or a Skype phone by Skype). In addition, some services may be limited to a certain number of countries. Truphone, a leading Mobile VoIP company, is not available in many developing world countries where growth opportunities are higher. A look at some of the top service providers will probably debunk the myth of free VoIP calls.

SKYPE.

Skype is the most well known provider. It offers free VoIP if one calls from a PC to another PC. To call landlines and mobile devices, one needs to purchase Skype Credit online. North America residents can enjoy the services for a paltry sum of US $30. Cheap, but certainly not free. And that’s after the caller and the recipient download the Skype software which is free, in the narrow sense. If you have downloaded the software but the person you want to be calling hasn’t, it is good advice to send that person the link for downloading the software.

YAHOO! VOICE.

Just like Skype, Yahoo Voice offers free PC-to-PC calls to Yahoo! Voice members. If you are familiar with the Yahoo Instant Message service, then you are unlikely to encounter difficulties with Yahoo! Voice. However, the service is sometimes interrupted with technical difficulties.

VOIPCHEAP.

VoipCheap, unlike either Skype or Yahoo! Voice, offers free calls to regular phones, and is available to a number of countries outside North America. Its software is also free. There are limitations though, and the free minutes are restricted to 300 minutes weekly for a particular IP address. One may still have to pay for calling those countries not yet covered by the service.

LEVEL 3.

Level 3, a major telecommunication player has come up with impressive VoIP service also called Level 3. It is completely free and the sound quality is an improvement on the past VoIP services. Businesses may find the service attractive in the near future, though it is of little use to people who wish to make individual calls to their friends.

Those are just some of the players in VoIP market, and as one can see, there are clogs and fetters to be found in each and every service, with Level 3 seeming to have the least number of retractions. Those looking for quality service should probably stick to landlines and mobile phones, but for the budget minded, VoIP is the next-best thing to the promised land of free voice calls.

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