Does VOIP cost money to phone up to a regular landline that doesn't hold VOIP?
Answers:
no. Your send for leaves the internet world and interface with the regular landline receiver switch through a gateway. Actually it's cheaper for long distance calls
It depends on what provider you use. If you enjoy one of the pay per month services, no. If you use a free PC to PC service, yes. Yes, generally speaking, VoIP to PSTN call cost money...
InNetwork Calling
VoIP over the Internet is almost always free. Almost adjectives VoIP services will advertise free calling "between details holders". Calls between account holders over like peas in a pod network is particular as "In-Network Calling". The cost of In-Network call processing is minuscule and thus usually free. (calls don't traverse the PSTN network)
VoIP-to-PSTN phones
There is "almost always" a toll charge for VoIP call that "terminate" to a PSTN (public switched telephone network) landline....
Why?
Because the phone up termination has to walk through a local telephone company exchange switching organization to reach the number you are calling on landline. Since when do mobile phone companies give away free phone call?
Sure they give you free local calling for solely $25-30/month (if you want to call that free....)
The Baby Bells aren't surrounded by the business of giving away free phone calls.... they would to some extent sell their souls until that time doing that....
There is just no such point as Free phone calling over PSTN telephone networks.... and VoIP have to terminate through PSTN phone lattice to get to a "concrete phone number".... not to a virtual number.... a real local exchange number.
Ok.... some services puff FREE phone calls....
Free phone calling to PSTN phones via VoIP is strictly MARKETING strategy to return with new customers.... It is almost other for a "limited" time or, period. Inevitabley, a VoIP service have to charge you money.... afterall, a business isn't a business.... unless they make money. But, the cost of Marketing habitually means giving away FREE Samples. Free phne calling amounts to free sample. enjoy it while it last.... it ain't goint to last forever... not even close.
Skype started out giving away FREE VoiP to PSTN phone call. now look at them... they enjoy to start turning a profit or...go the channel of SunRocket and others that went belly-up.
The approach to get "free" VoIP to phone calling is to sign-up near new start-up services that requirement to establish a customer base.
These start-up companies normally note that their services are within BETA development phase and "while contained by beta" they offer free calling services.
MagicJack is surrounded by essence a new beta service... it will be interesting to see how long they can hand over away free USA/Canad VoIP to PSTN calls earlier they either run belly-up or... start charging more than $20/year for the so-called free calling.
GrandCentral is currently offering FREE USA phone numbers and Free calling to contacts in your GC depiction contact list. GC is surrounded by BETA right now... I hold an account and am using it for trialling and to take plus of the free features... while in beta nouns (beta also means "buggy and limited"). It will be interesting to see how long previously GC starts charging "money" for the service...
MediaRing Talk is currently offering FREE 10 minute VoIP to PSTN calls to 8 countries... They own been offering this promotion past its sell-by date and on over the past year, since they started up.
Note, to be exact always "exotic start-ups" that offer free calling.... how else can they go and get your attention...
Here is the latest FREE VoIP to phone service I enjoy come across recently (and am using it for carrying out tests too). "EarthCaller"
http://www.earthcaller.com/index.php?opt...
When you visit their net site.... note the little "beta" sticky label above their name.... yep... it's currently a spanking new start-up and still under nouns. and they want your business. so, All Calls are FREE to any PSTN phone in USA/Canada from your PC net browser... You just call for a headset to talk and download thier small downloadable web-plug-in to trigger the VoIP calling module.
Enjoy it while it is in Beta nouns.... cuz.. if they want to stay in business, eventually they will enjoy to start charging money...
(I think I smell a MagicJack killer-app on the horizon... :)
P.S.
I didn't really want to spread the word in the order of EarthCaller... I'm stingy at heart and wanted adjectives those free calls for myself, earlier the rest of the world started overloading the EarthCaller circuits.... oh, well, cats out of the pack now...