VoIP stands for Voice over IP (internet protocol). It means using an internet connection for voice data, a.k.a. using the internet for making phone calls / voice communications. The much talked about Skype is one example of software based VoIP. In New Zealand Slingshot have a service called iTalk. This service costs $10 a month and provides some fantastic benefits. The main benefits I see are:
- Your phone number doesn’t need to change when you move home / office
This has always pissed me off with the way Telecom has their system set up. If I move house within Auckland (where I live) my phone number changes. The reason is that Auckland is split up into a large number of phone exchanges that provide service to the surrounding allocated area. That’s why each area has its own number format (372 xxxx is Waiheke Island, 846 xxxx is Mt Albert, 575 xxxx is St Heliers, etc.). If the area you move to in on a different exchange from where you came from your number will change. If you have business cards with this number on them, well… it can be rather annoying and expensive. - You get a full range of telco features at this low price.
Features include call-forwarding when busy, call-forwarding when no answer, call-waiting, voice-mail, do not disturb (call blocking). You also get caller ID so that you can see what number an incoming call is coming from. Adding all these features to a Telecom phone line would cast a lot. - You can make and answer calls any where in the world!
Because your calls come over the internet you can access your phone line (voice mail, incoming and outgoing calls) from anywhere that you have broadband access. If you load the free iTalk Soft-phone application onto your laptop and you have wireless, then walking into any wireless broadband hotspot will give you phone access as if you are sitting with your phone back at home. Outgoing calls will originate from your iTalk number location (Auckland originally, but now there are other options in New Zealand). That means you could be in Singapore (where the whole city has free wireless broadband) and you can call an Auckland number free. You can call a NZ mobile for 30c a minute. You can call anywhere in the world at the normal iTalk rates. People calling your NZ iTalk number will get through to your sitting there in Singapore, at no additional cost. Nice huh? - Drop Telecom out of the picture
Once the Telecom unbundling process is complete, it will be possible to have iTalk with no Telecom phone account in place. At present to get ADSL to your house / office you must have an expensive Telecom phone account / line. Soon, that will no longer be required and your phone services will cost only $10 a month, with all these features (saving you at least $60 a month). - The outgoing call rates are some of the lowest I’ve seen.
iTalk Rates are as follows:
Local Calls: FREE
National Calls: 5 cents per minute
Land to NZ Mobile Calls: 30 cents per minute
International Calls
5¢ per min 10¢ per min 15¢ per min 30¢ per min Australia Bangladesh Botswana Australia Mobile Belgium Indonesia Bulgaria Fiji Brazil Korea (Sth) Mobile Colombia Fiji Mobile China Peru Mexico India Germany Poland Namibia India Mobile Japan Portugal Panama Indonesia Mobile Korea (Sth) Russia Romania NZ Mobile National (NZ) Slovenia Swaziland Pakistan Norway South Africa Taiwan Mobile Philippines Singapore Thailand Ukraine Sri Lanka UK Thailand Mobile Uruguay Turkey USA Zimbabwe Zambia Zimbabwe Mobile If the international destination you desire is not listed above please see the full list of iTalk rates by clicking here.
Check out iTalk here: www.italk.co.nz
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