Free SkypeOut? calls to US and Canadian phones ends December 31st.

[Lazybones]

http://www.skype.com/email/nau/launch_eos/?cm_mmc=Acceleration-_-Email-_-NA_LaunchOptout_EN_US_0601213-_-cantsee

After December 31st SkypeOut calls to US and Canada will be charged at the standard SkypeOut rate of ?2.1 USD (or ?2.4 CAD) per minute.

You can also get a full year of unlimited calls to any phone in the US and Canada. Get more information.

[Shayne]

You just knew it was going to end.  I tried using it a couple years back and was not impressed.  Through Vonage we pay $0.04/min and I can use a normal telephone

[Lazybones]

I tested it out a few times with my bluetooth headset and my PC to call my Dad, it worked very well. Even tried it from my Pockect PC via WiFi once..

I use Primus at home, and just like Vonage I agree using regular phones is really nice.

[Shayne]

How well does Primus do for say calling Pizza Hut or Panago?

[Lazybones]

Same as a cell phone, you get put into the touch tone system to find the closest location.

[Lazybones]

I believe that VOIP providers that provide service via user installable / movable hardware are NOT permitted to transmit an address for location services because it could be false. This is also why 911 service is different for VOIP. Primus uses the exact same VOIP technology as VONAGE, I believe you can even transfer your VOIP router between them.

Shaw digital phone for example is hardwired and acts more like normal phone services for example.

[Shayne]

Thats my only complaint with Vonage is that certain services that route you to the closest place dont work.  Its a small nitpick when I pay what I pay for what I get.  My entire family (mom, dad, sister, grandparents, etc) have all moved to Vonage.  nice to shrug off that typical $60-$80 bill in favor of $21.20

[Lazybones]

My home phone is only used as a household point of contact for services and for making long calls. We use our cell phones far more than the home line.

When a regular line costs you more than double it is not hard to switch. If I had small kids in the house I might switch to shaw home phone instead for the fact it supports E-911 (IE transmits your location).

[Shayne]

We thought about that as well, but with my SO and myself having a cell phone that has 911 on it it seems like a waste to pay 4 times as much for what is basically the same service (i know shaw has its advantages).

I'm not impressed with cell phones in Canada, i would like to see such features as roll over minutes, better "X anytime minutes" packages.  Should be no reason to have $100 cell phone bills these days.  I dont care about "data transfer" or "graphics games and sounds", i would love to have a 1000 anytime minute plan, no extra features for like $30/m including access and 911 fees.

[TheDruid]

From the sounds of it, phone companies hands have been kind of held by the government for competing with lower rates. However an Article i read in the news paper this week said that the government is looking at changing the law. So we could see a drop in land line bills by as early as February if all goes well. Really, how can companies like Telus really expect to compete with the current rates? Something will change and i bet with in the next few years the price point really wont be a big deal anymore.

[Shayne]

Telus is going to have to do something.  When my Telus bill had connection and taxes costing me as much as Vonage for everything you just get tired of being bent over for what appears to be no good reason (government holding prices would be "no good reason").

You will have to let us know how much things drop off.

$55 for Shaw all inclusive
$40 for Vonage all inclusive

...to compete Telus will probably have to drop things only a little.  I can't find on their website how much "Line Cost" is, but to have all the features is $19.95, plus a "$4.95 long distance administration fee".  To get a similar long distance you need to get "Call Unlimited North America" which is $23.95.  So before the "Line Cost" you have $48.85.

Can anyone confirm how much "Line Cost" and anything else on your phone bill thats not included?  I bet that Telus is probably around $70 equally equipped which is only $15 over.

Being unlisted is also $2.00 (not sure if this is really required, though I gotta admit that I enjoy NEVER getting sales calls)

[Lazybones]

The Primus unlimited long distance plan is only $25.95 /mo

I am on the Ultimate bundle for $15.95/mo which includes local service and 0.05/min NA long distance.

I have had some call quality problems in the past but not recently.

[Ustauk]

I've been using Skype a fair bit.  I've found the quality's been good for the most part.   I've thought about getting Shaw, but I don't really want to go through the hastle of switching right now.  I may just cough up the $15 (American, I presume) for a years calling.

[Melbosa]

Just don't get a virus

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2006/12/19/tech-skypetrojanvirus-061219.html

The Trojan horse sends a message through the Skype Chat text-based instant messaging tool and asks the recipient to download a file named sp.exe. If a user complies, the virus downloads Skype programming code and new versions of itself from the internet and tries to steal passwords, Websense's security alert said.