Calling cards, VoIP and instant messengers

Calling cards:______________________________________________________________

There are a myriad of calling-card sites and just as many people asking which card is the best to use to call Colombia.  Calling card rates vary as does call quality and usually there are no refunds or credits for dropped or crappy connections especially with the notorious STS Unlimited card.  Surprise fees and "monthly maintenance charges" can further dampen what seems like a great calling card.  Well, my friends and I have tried them all and instead of listing a million calling card sites here, I'll tell you now that we use Tel 3, the best.

• Tel3 Advantage  Up to 473 bonus minutes upon signup.  Pinless dialing: no need to remember PINs anymore because they'll recognize your phone number through caller ID (register up to 10 phone numbers or "sub accounts," even cellular so family and friends in different places can use your minutes).  If at a payphone, just dial the 1-800 number enter your account number (phone number + PIN).  Automatic or manual recharge card through website.  Full online account management including calls made and minutes/money left.  1-800 and local access numbers.  Clear call quality.  Great international rates.  Minutes don't expire.  No contracts, monthly "maintenance" charges, activation fees, hidden fees or taxes.  Minimum $25 upon signup and per recharge.  Not really a calling card but more of a long-distance service because you don't carry a card around.  Advanced features: dial ## to dial another number without hanging up, #* do redial and more.  Great for long distance call in the US as well.  Some example rates: Bogotá, Cali & Barranquilla: 4.2¢/min, cellular: 7.8¢/min, elsewhere in Colombia: 6.8¢/min dialing with local access numbers.  1-800 access costs 1¢/min more.

• Search for all prepaid calling cards here.

• http://www.callingcards.com Calling card site.

• http://www.uniontelecard.com/ Calling card site.

• http://www.2prepaidcard.com/ratelookup.asp

• http://www.phonecardonsale.com

• http://www.stsprepaid.com/ The "STS Unlimited" calling card **RIP-OFF ALERT** click here.

VoIP and computer/software phones___________________________________________________

 What is VoIP?  VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones use the Internet to initiate and receive phone calls via an adapter that connects your phone to your Internet service (cable or DSL modem/router).  You continue to use your regular or cordless phones but your calls are routed through the Internet instead of your phone company's switches.  Some calling cards use VoIP behind the scenes to provide you low rates. 

 But I can already "chat" using Yahoo Messenger, what's the difference?  All online messengers such as Yahoo and MSN use VoIP technology to allow users to "chat" but do not provide full telephone functionality such as your own phone number.  Both parties must be connected to the Internet and online with their respective messenger service to make and receive calls.  Additionally, other traffic on your Internet connection, such as downloading, will severely affect your chat quality.

 On the other hand, dedicated VoIP providers such as Vonage, Packet 8 and Comcast provide you with a phone number just like the phone company so that you can initiate and receive calls both locally and internationally for lower rates than the phone company.  VoIP technology is exploding on the scene with large companies such as Comcast and AT&T guaranteeing quality but the technology and broadband capacity still affect call quality to some degree, i.e. choppiness and dropped calls but that is quickly disappearing.

 What does VoIP have to do with calling Colombia?  Well, in addition to great international rates, some people in the know are buying VoIP phone adapters/service with their home area code in the U.S. and sending the adapter for use in Colombia thus making free, unlimited calls back and forth between the U.S. and Colombia.  This is because the phone adapter you get (really a router) does not use conventional phone company switches and doesn't care where you live; U.S., Colombia, Antarctica...as long as it connected to a broadband Internet connection of at least 128kbps, a common broadband speed in Colombia's bigger cities.  For example: you live in Fargo, North Dakota but your honey is in Medellin.  You go to Circuit City and get the Vonage phone adapter/service for your Fargo area code and send the adapter to your honey in Bogota.  She connects it to her broadband connection and voila...you two are talking for free (well for the price of Vonage service) because calls between Vonage subscribers are free no matter where they're located.  If either of you moves or travels, just take the phone adapter with you continue normal service wherever you are as long as you're connected to broadband. 

 Notes on VoIP phone service:  High speed cable Internet is will not provide better VoIP connections than DSL unless you constantly download while talking on the phone or have other family members sharing your home's Internet connection while you make VoIP calls.  VoIP phone service relies on electricity; no power, no phone unless connected to a UPS (universal power supply).  Your VoIP phone must be registered with 911 emergency services in order to allow emergency workers to find you.

 Can I email you for more information?  Well you could but you would have better luck and far more information by going here and reading: http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/node/5497  While you're there, do a site search for VoIP for even more info and testimonials about VoIP.    There are hundreds of VoIP providers.  This is a partial list of the biggest names.  *All VoIP and "software" phones rely critically on broadband (DSL or cable) service on both ends but will function with dial-up in a pinch.

VoIP providers:_____________________________________________________________

• Vonage  One of the first VoIP providers and currently the biggest.  Broadband required but computer not needed.  Vonage also offers their "SoftPhone" for $10 more which you can use to make calls from a computer to any land line.  Other equipment includes cordless phones, wireless router, phone adapter/router to connect multiple computers to your Vonage service, a wireless phone (like a cell phone) that you can use in any hotspot in the world and more.  Min $15/mo.-$25/mo. (unlimited calling).  Vonage "kits" available in retail outlets such as BestBuy or Circuit City, some including cordless phones.  Consistent billing problems in their favor.  Tech support is in India and difficult to understand.

• Packet8  Residential/business phones, video phones.  Vonage's strongest competitor, Packet 8 is making inroads into the VoIP market and is a major player.  Great rates and nice promos like their "Uniden Whole House VoIP" deal.  Definitely look into Packet 8 before making any decision.

• Comcast Comcast is now leveraging its large high speed cable infrastructure and customer base to market its new VoIP home phone service.  But for $40-$55 (ouch!) per month and regular long distance rates, it remains to be seen if they will be a viable player.

• At&T now into VoIP as well.  Computer not needed.  Phone to phone.  Min $30

• Quest OneFlex VoIP service.  Marketing to small businesses now.

• dialpad  VoIP provider, computer to phone.  Phone sales.

• iConnect  VoIP provider.  Phone to phone, computer to phone.

Free (or almost free) software-based Internet phones:___________________________________

• Skype  From the makers of Kazaa comes Skype, a free download and free software phone to use anywhere in the world.  Computer to computer, telephone to computer, computer to telephone.  Recipient must also have Skype software installed for free computer to computer calls. With Skype's "Skypout" feature, you can call land lines from your computer or PDA from your broadband connection at home or any hotspot such as at Starbuck's or an airport.  Skype's "SkypeIN" feature assigns you a phone number that others can call. Video phone service requires both have a web cam.  I installed a PDA-version of Skype on my iPAQ wireless PDA while deployed in the Middle East and made and received calls like a cell phone.  The biggest advantages to Skype is price and portablility while one disadvantage is poor call quality at times.

• VOIPSTUNT Advertises itself as "the other free calls company" in reference to Skype but really does offer free calls to Bogota land lines for 1 minute!  You download the 1.51Mb software quickly and begin using.  However...while the calls to Bogota are free, you have only one minute of talk time before you are disconnected and directed to the VOIPSTUNT website to buy "credits." Colombia cellular is 8 cents/minute.

• Packet8 Also also offers "soft phone" service like Skype.

• Net2Phone  The original free phone over Internet providers now offers full VoIP services.  Phone to phone, computer to phone.

•   Free World Dialing   Another free VoIP service.  Also computer to computer or purchase phone from dialpad above.

• InternetPhone Wizard  Sells phones to use with net2phone.

• VoIP Voice  Sells phones to use with Skype et al.

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• http://www.ipsofactum.com/ Colombian free VoIP service.  Computer to computer. 

Online messengers:_________________________________________________________

Some of these free services also use VoIP for chat and video chat however the difference with Vonage and Packet 8 is that there is no phone number involved.  You must catch each other online to conduct voice/video chat.  Broadband not required but definitely helpful for video chat.

• MSN Messenger from Microsoft.  Share games, chat, video chat.

• Yahoo Messenger Chat, video chat, games.  Text to cell phones. Online radio.

• AOL Instant Messenger  Chat.  Text to cell phones.

• ICQ  The original IRC (Internet relay chat) still around with a  large chat population.