Here is one form of technology I know little about, so if someone wouldn't mind answering this one question for me, are these phones free to use? I.E. is there no monthly phone bill because it utilizes wifi? Or do you still have to pay for a phone number and service?
As long as you have access to a free wifi network, and limit your calls between skype users, it will be free. Additionally, you can also purchase skype credits to make/receive calls to/from normal landlines and cell phones.
Essentially, you can call other Skype users for free. From 1 WiFi/computer connection to another for example. However, you have to pay ~$40 PER YEAR to get a phone number that people with regular phones (cell phones, land-lines, etc.) can call. You also have to pay to place calls to regular phones. It works out to be way way cheaper than using a regular phone, and you can make international calls for cheap too.
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Here is one form of technology I know little about, so if someone wouldn't mind answering this one question for me, are these phones free to use? I.E. is there no monthly phone bill because it utilizes wifi? Or do you still have to pay for a phone number and service?
As long as you have access to a free wifi network, and limit your calls between skype users, it will be free. Additionally, you can also purchase skype credits to make/receive calls to/from normal landlines and cell phones.
Go to http://www.skype.com for rate info.
Essentially, you can call other Skype users for free. From 1 WiFi/computer connection to another for example. However, you have to pay ~$40 PER YEAR to get a phone number that people with regular phones (cell phones, land-lines, etc.) can call. You also have to pay to place calls to regular phones. It works out to be way way cheaper than using a regular phone, and you can make international calls for cheap too.
Just search newegg.com for Skype and it reveals they have dozens of similar phones.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=skype&x=0&y=0