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Need some info on Skype

  • 08-12-2007 5:59pm
    #1
    eve
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 427 ✭✭


    My sister is going to Australia in January and my parents want to be able to talk to her. The obvious solution seems to be Skype but I don't know much aobut it. I know that there is a Skype phone available and I have been told that they can call her on a Australian mobile.

    I know that pc to pc would be the most straight forward but my parents are not big users of the computer at home and they'd like to have an always on number that she can contact them any time. Also I don't know what access my sister would have to a pc over there so I think her getting a pre-pay phone might be a better option.

    What thoughts or suggestions do people have? Roughly how much would it cost for a 10 minute conversation if my parents were using a Skype phone and she was on a mobile? Anyone have any better ideas?


Comments

  • #2
    Evil Al
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 71 ✭✭Evil Al


    Personally, I find that skype is only so-so for calls other that computer-to-computer.

    For my apt, I got a cheap SIP-enabled (not Skype) VoIP handset (a Grandstream Budgetone but there are lots of others). I have a Blueface account which gives me a Dublin number for others to call. Rates to Oz vary depending on which package you take. There are of course lots of other VoIP providers, including Australian ones which would give you a local Oz number so calls would be local.


  • #3
    nilhg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,185 ✭✭✭nilhg


    I'm going to Oz in Jan too (only for a month) and I'm planning on using this service, if your sister is going to be there for much longer then something like this might be a better plan.


  • #4
    probe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,055 ✭✭✭probe


    eve wrote: »
    What thoughts or suggestions do people have? Roughly how much would it cost for a 10 minute conversation if my parents were using a Skype phone and she was on a mobile? Anyone have any better ideas?

    Why can't she use a landline in Oz (far cheaper to call on VoIP)? Mobile is a racket in many countries - which gives every subscriber a quasi premium rate number (like a sexline) and VoIP can't do much to reduce the cost of calls to these numbers. Exceptions being USA and China for example.

    If mobile is it an Irish mobile roaming in Oz or an Oz mobile? If an Irish mobile she will have to pay for the incoming call. While three.ie have a tiny number of roaming agreements compared with the other networks, they may be cheaper to roam in Oz, assuming she has three.oz in her area. If she has an Ozmobile number, the call charges are available in the Skype website: http://www.skype.com/prices/callrates/?currency=EUR

    >OzMobile = 19c/min >Oz landline = 2c/min

    As far as call quality is concerned, it is down to the quality of your internet connection mainly - contention ratios, upstream speed, and type of connection - DSL, cable or wireless. In that regard, VoIP quality is at best patchy in Ireland compared with the rest of the EU15 countries. Best to avoid most wireless ISPs and satellite DSL providers for this application (at either end).

    .probe


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