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If you’re going away, Skype can save the day

August 4, 2007

I’ve always been a little skeptical of Skype, the Voice Over Internet service that turns your computer into a phone. Sound quality has been iffy and the many plans offered by Skype are confusing. But for the last few days I’ve had an opportunity to take another look at Skype, and now I’m hooked.

Here’s my situation: I’m up in a remote part of the Adirondack Mountains with a reliable high-speed Internet connection but no usable phone. I upgraded my Skype account, adding a phone number and calling credits, hoping I could make my PC a viable replacement for a phone.

It worked.

Skype allowed me to add a SkypeIn number in Washington, where my flagship client, National Geographic, is based. That let my sources call me directly without having to log on to their computers and set up their own Skype accounts.

My concern about sound quality were addressed after I upgraded to the new Skype 2.6 for my Mac. Most of the callers didn’t know I was using a VOIP service. Only one person complained that I sounded “muddy” when I left a message on his answering machine. (It may have been his machine.)

I’m still perplexed by all of Skype’s calling plans, and wish they would streamline their services. More intriguing would be if a company like Google acquired Skype, integrating it with GrandCentral.

Until then, I’ve found a great traveling companion.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

6 comments

  • TaxMama

    Hi Chris,

    A friend of mine has been raving about Skype for years. I’ve never needed it, since I haven’t been traveling much lately.

    Last month, though, I had to travel to Las Vegas to meet an associate and help with his lecture. Before leaving home, I got roped into a couple of conference calls and a radio interview for each of the mornings in Las Vegas.

    I don’t have a cell phone. Probably one of the last holdouts in Southern Calfiornia.

    So, sitting in a hotel room whose telephone rate card tells my 1-hour+ calls will cost me over $100 each, I downloaded Skype on my laptop.

    You’re right. The first couple of calls (to my office), the sound was odd. First, it was garbled. Then, I got an audio delay, where I could hear my own voice about half a second after I spoke. By the third attempt, the sound was clear.

    By the time I got to the conference calls – the audio was excellent. In fact, I’d arranged for the show’s producer to call me at the hotel room.

    The sound on the phone was scratchy. But, I called back on Skype and the sound was clear as a bell.

    Incidentally, not clear about the buying minutes thing. They have a $29.95 rate for one year of unlimited service. (which, since I didn’t change the currency, I ended up paying as 25 Euros). Wouldn’t that work for you?

    Anyway, thanks for telling us about the service. It’s much better than I expected.

    Best wishes

    Eva Rosenberg, EA
    Your TaxMama
    http://www.TaxMama.com

  • Craig Brown

    Hi Elliot,

    “More intriguing would be if a company like Google acquired Skype, integrating it with GrandCentral.”

    Perhaps, but eBay probably isn’t willing to sell it :-)

  • Rebecca Leonard

    Wow, I’ve never heard of Skype. I travel throughout the Adirondacks frequently and get very frustrated with the lack of phone service. Thanks for this info!

  • Jim

    I have used Skype off and on PC-PC, but have never paid for credit or signed up for an actual phone number. I had 1 good and 1 sub-par call with it from hotels in China. The application certainly is subject to bandwidth limitations.

    Note that it isn’t the only player. Also check out Gizmo, Jajah and Vonage. Gizmo should be considered a direct competitor, with the advantage that it uses open standards, rather than Skype’s proprietary network.

  • http://sagaunscripted.blogspot.com Benjamin Barnett

    We are American teachers who live in Guatemala City, and this is what we use to stay in touch with family, both through audio and video calls, and with all business calls made to the US, which are only 2 cents/minute if you load your account like you said. We are considering getting a phone number through them, but like you said, Chris, the plans are somewhat complicated. I’ve also used it throughout the US, Spain, France, Germany, and Central and South America with generally good sound quality. Sometimes there is an echo, but I just call back. We are big fans.

  • Kathyj

    Last summer my son studied abroad. The first several weeks his group traveled all over Europe and we didn’t get to talk, but the second half of the trip they settled in Oxford, England. I got a Skype account and called my son in his dorm room (there was some issue with getting through to his direct line, but that was the University’s problem not Skype’s). It sound like he was right in town. I chose an Oxford number so it would be a local call for him if he needed to contact me (mostly we arranged ahead of time when I would call, due to his schedule and the time difference). I paid US$5 for a month; as I recall there was a minute limit but it was huge, something like 60 hours; far more than we needed. Skype was a great experience.

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