TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Using Skype to Call NANP Numbers

Re: Using Skype to Call NANP Numbers

jmeissen@aracnet.com
18 May 2006 18:38:12 GMT

In article <telecom25.189.13@telecom-digest.org>,
John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> wrote:

>> What wasn't clear to me from the announcement was whether the call is
>> free if it's placed within the US and Canada, or whether it terminates
>> whithin the US and Canada. The former implies originating in the
>> targeted area, whereas the latter could originate anywhere.

> The latter, calls to US and Canada numbers are now free. (You would
> already know this if you had spent 10 seconds pointing your browser at
> http://www.skype.com .) Skype has only the vaguest idea of where
> you're located.

Well, I did. And the precise wording on the Skypeout page (which is the
service that changed) states:

"But remember, you can make free calls within the US and Canada to both
landlines and mobile phones until the end of the year."

It also goes on to say,

"If you're in the US or Canada and want to call local numbers (these
are US and Canadian landlines and mobile phones) then all you need to
do is open up Skype, enter a phone number, hit the big, green, friendly
call button and start talking. And best of all these calls are entirely
free until the end of the year."

Also, their rate page says, "Calling within the US/Canada", not
"Calling to the US/Canada"

To me that seems to indicate that the free calls only apply to calls
made from the US/Canada to the US/Canada.

Given the nature of VOIP I would expect that the country of origin
wouldn't make a difference. But I don't proclaim to know the specifics
of their proprietary protocols.

>> I'm curious, though, because I know someone in Afghanistan who uses
>> Skype to communicate with relatives in the US. It would make a huge
>> difference to him.

> Since the rate used to be about two cents a minute, he must be making
> some impressively long calls.

OK, maybe "huge" was the wrong word. :-) He's a friend of a friend,
and all I really know is that he's been using Skype-to-Skype calls to
save money.

John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com

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