Talk More, Pay Less, Be Free

If you haven't canceled your phone service, or if you have switched to a bundled package with the cable company or an IP phone service such as Vonage, you should consider switching to Skype. Unlike most IP services, Skype offers free calling worldwide to other Skype customers. If you want a local number, and the ability to call to regular phones, the cost for Skype is $60 per year and $0.01 per minute when talking to non-Skype phone numbers. Skype is the worlds largest phone company with about 500M subscribers. Most of the cable bundles and VoIP Service Providers like Vonage charge something on the order of $250 per year.

Besides the requirement for a WiFi home connection (usually broadband), the only catch to using Skype for your main or home phone is the 911 service. It is not offered by Skype but is offered by the cable bundlers and VoIP Service Providers. However, if you're like most people, you also have a cell phone. Today, all cell phones have 911 service and emergency services personnel can find you anywhere you are. If you don't have a cell phone, you can pick up a pre-paid cell phone like TracFone for less than $15 at WalMart and purchase minutes at a cost of about $0.20 per minute or less. Used judiciously, you can have a cell phone and an VoIP home phone for less than $250 per year. So, if you use Skype, use your cell phone for any 911 calls.

Another advantage of Skype is that it is fully portable. You can use Skype from your computer, it is available for download to most cell phones, and there are third party suppliers like Netgear who offer a Skype WiFi phone for around $250. With a Netgear Skype phone, you can bring your main/home phone with you while you are on the road and use it anywhere there is free WiFi such as airports and hotels. You can get the Netgear phone from Netgear.com, or Amazon.com. There are also other suppliers who offer the Skype handset and they can also be found on Amazon.com.

With Skype-to-Skype calls free and Skype to landline calls $0.01 per minute, you will not find a cheaper more convenient way to talk with friends, family, or customers.