Free Internet-Based Calling To U.S. And Canada Via Gmail

[jfchandler]

I didn't see anything posted here on the subject, so I thought I'd call attention to Google's new feature that allows free Internet-based calls to any number in the U.S. and Canada, including landlines, from within the user's existing Gmail account.

See the Google blogs on the new service, which apparently aims to rival Skype, here and here... The second of the two Google blog entries indicates Google has committed to making the Gmail calling service free throughout 2011.

One of the media reports I heard on the service indicated that Gmail users could make free calls from anywhere in the world, provided the Gmail account they are using is/was created in the U.S. or Canada... But as best as I can tell, that's not the case.

When I tested the system on an old Gmail account I had created years ago, the calling feature came up fine, and worked fine, when I was logged into my Gmail account using a U.S. IP address... But when I logged into the same Gmail account with a local IP address, the calling feature didn't show up in the Gmail menu...

The basic difference, as best as I understand it for the non-techies, is that Skype provides free international calling to other Skype users who answer and communicate via their computers. In contrast, the Gmail service allows free calling to any regular phone number in the U.S. or Canada... The individual being called doesn't need to have or be using a computer or a Gmail account. They just answer their regular phone as they would for any call.

For those with access to a U.S. IP address, the "Call Phone" feature in Gmail shows up right at the top of the "Chat menu on the lower left hand side of the screen. Clicking "Call Phone" when brings up an on-screen dialing pad that you can access either via a mouse or keyboard to dial. There a mute button to kill your microphone, and a "Call" button to launch the call.

[mkawish]

That is a giant step forward for those with usa ip address.

However, for the majority of us overseas, we are also hoping that the service could also be extended to us sometimes in the not too distance future.

What do you say, gmail representatives on Thaivisa?