Phone Service

[capco1]

Does anybody happen to know if there is a way a small business can make cheap long distance calls to the US from Thailand? All my work is done over the phone and if I can find a way to call the States via LOS in the evening hours....I can move! HELP

[Upcountry]

I've been using a (still expensive) call-back service until recently, when I discovered Skype and Skype-Out. The latter allows me to call regular land line phones and cell phones anywhere.

I used it on Mothers day to call my mother when she was far from the nearest major city in the US.

It works great 90% of the time. Sometimes it can sound choppy. And the quality of your microphone and broadband connection can have an impact.

I estimate that by this time next year, Skype-like services will be common place for business calls. It may make a business seem "cheap" right now though, even when many corporations are outsourcing support to India. But there the call quality is indistinguishable from Omaha. Just the accents give it away.

I think that with the right spin on it, your contacts would understand if you use Skype.

[klrsmith]

Providing you have access to a Broadband internet connection, You could subscribe to one of the US based voice over IP providers such as Vonage or Broadvoice (vonage.com, broadvoice.com). Their monthly charge of $19.95 or so includes all the LD calling in the US and Canada (Broadvoice ads 19 other countries as well). You'll get a little adapter (analog telephone adapter or ATA) about the size of an iPod that will plug into your internet connection, and has a jack to plug in a phone.

As an added benefit, you'll be able to chose a telephone number in any city that the providers serve, so that mom can call you locally on your birthday.

Regards,

Kevin