| Free Internet telephony, free voice-over-IP | | | | traditional landline phone. To use this service, you |
| (VOIP), and free broadband phone calls are just | | | | must install some free software and then abide |
| fancy ways of saying free phone calls through | | | | by a fair use policy. |
| the Internet. It's a well understood fact that | | | | For example, is one such company enticing new |
| computers talk to each other (through web sites, | | | | customers with free calls to landline phones in |
| email, file transfers, and the like), all over the | | | | select destinations. To trial the service, your free |
| world, regardless of their location. Now voice | | | | calls are limited to one minute. For unlimited calling |
| conversations can do the same thing, using the | | | | you must "top up" your account by buying a |
| very same Internet as the telephone network. | | | | number of phone credits, say £10 (about |
| To use free Internet telephony, you first need to | | | | $18). This credit deposit stays untouched as long |
| have a high speed, or broadband Internet | | | | as you are calling the free destinations. |
| connection. Either DSL or cable service works just | | | | 3. PC to PC |
| fine. Next, you need an account with a free | | | | This last category is perhaps the easiest to work |
| Internet phone service provider. Today, you'll find | | | | with. Setup takes literally minutes and all you need |
| three main categories of free Internet telephony | | | | to get started is the free software, and a |
| services. The first type of service allows you to | | | | headset, microphone and sound card. Headsets |
| make calls from one conventional phone to | | | | with built in mics are great for making PC phone |
| another. The second type lets you call a | | | | calls. |
| conventional phone from a PC. And the third type | | | | Skype, Gizmo Project, and FWD (Free World |
| of service provides free PC-to-PC calls only. | | | | Dialup) are a few of the more popular free |
| 1. Phone to Phone | | | | Internet telephony services available. Instant |
| With this type of service, you can make free calls | | | | Messaging (IM) services are also getting into the |
| from one regular phone to another. In this case | | | | act and you can now talk as well as chat on |
| "free" means no cost for calls to users of the | | | | Yahoo Messenger, Microsoft Messenger, and |
| same service, but to make it work both parties | | | | GoogleTalk. |
| have to purchase some special hardware called an | | | | Here's how it works. In most cases, you can only |
| ATA (Analog Terminal Adaptor), sometimes called | | | | make free calls to computer users with the same |
| a broadband phone adaptor. The ATA plugs into | | | | software installed. For example, Skype users can |
| your broadband modem and converts analog | | | | only call Skype users for free. Dialing is just a |
| voice signals into digital ones. When your regular | | | | matter of clicking the person's contact name in a |
| phone is connected to the ATA, your voice is | | | | list. The software does the rest. |
| converted to digital and sent out over the | | | | If you want to call someone who doesn't isn't on |
| Internet. | | | | the same service as you, things get a little more |
| This type of calling is ideal for friends, family, or | | | | complicated. In an effort to hasten the spread of |
| businesses that call each other regularly. | | | | free internet telephony, PC telephone companies |
| PhoneGnome ( is one such company offering free | | | | are making agreements so that their users can |
| internet calling using regular phones. You have to | | | | talk to users on different networks. For example, |
| buy the PhoneGnome ATA ($119). You can call | | | | Gizmo Project users can now dial GooglTalk users. |
| other PhoneGnome users for free, and regular | | | | And if you use a service that employs open |
| long distance numbers at greatly reduced rates. | | | | voice-over-IP standards, such as SIP, you can call |
| What's great about it though, is that the device is | | | | other users on other SIP services using a special |
| fully self configuring. There is no software to | | | | SIP number provided when you set up your free |
| install. Just plug it in and it does the rest. There | | | | account. |
| are no monthly fees and you can keep your | | | | There's no doubt that using the Internet to call |
| same phone number. | | | | the world for free has captured the imagination of |
| 2. PC to Phone | | | | folks everywhere. And trying without risk or a big |
| This category of free Internet telephony service | | | | dollar commitment is easier than ever. |
| allows you to make free calls from a PC to a | | | | |