This article talks about one such service which is growing cheaper and more affordable by the day that lets one keep in touch with family and friends around the world.

Vonage recently announced a plan (World Calling Plan) which offers unlimited calling to 60 countries at just $24.99 + Taxes. Subscribers can call the landline numbers in 60 countries and call on mobile and landline numbers in 15 out of 60 countries.

It is needless to say that this plan not only lets you make unlimited international calls but also local calls and offers all the services that a regular phone does (Vonage has a different setup for 911 calls). Users can port their existing phone numbers to Vonage which means switching service from AT&T, Comcast or any other telecom service provider will be seamless and totally uninterrupted and the best part is you just have to call Vonage and the number will be ported by them.

Nothing is as it seems to be and so is the Vonage World calling Plan. Vonage promotion states that it is an unlimited plan, however, what it does not say is that as soon as a subscriber hits +5000 minutes a month limit the account is immediately put under review to determine if the service is being used for personal or business purposes.

After the review personal users can continue to use it without paying extra but if the service is used for business then the subscriber has to upgrade to business plan and pay extra.

I initially had some issues setting up the service once I received the instrument from Vonage but the technical support at Vonage helped me out with the setup. It has been a little over a month since I have started using this service and I am certainly a happy customer.

First time subscribers can also avail a promotion offer which lets them get started by just paying the local taxes ($5-$12) for the setup and free service for the first 2 months.

Call 1-800-705-7092 and refer the following Name and Number to avail the offer and get started and use the service for two months without paying anything.

• Referral Name: Syed Abbas
• Referral Number: 847-423-5118

Existing Vonage subscribers can simply call and place a request to be upgraded to the “World Plan” package to start calling 60 countries for free!

Following is the list of 60 countries subscribers in US and Canada can call at just $24.99 a month

You have two options, leave a comment on TechCrunch mention why you should get an invitation and the second option is to add you name at InviteShare and hopefully you will get lucky and become a Ooma white rabbit.

Good Luck!

Ooma offers a device which will cost $399 (one time payment) and promises to serve you with free calls all over US forever. Sounds good isn’t it.

The company is also launching a viral program called “white rabbit” through which Ooma devices will be distributed for free and each participant in-turn can invite 3 other members who will get 3 free devices and 3 more invites each. Now that’s sounds like a true viral buzz. Once it is launched it will spread like wild fire which will make it really easy for Ooma to create a strong customer base.

Now Vonage, Skype and other VoIP services have one more thing to watch out for!

There are series of companies coming up with similar services however Vonage has captured most of the VoiP market. What’s keeping Vonage ahead of its competitors is its never ending zest for innovation and to reach millions.

One of the best features of this service is that you can configure your existing phone number with Vonage and start making cheap international calls with it. Vonage offers a variety of hardware devices to choose from however it has also tied up with hardware manufactures like Motorola, Uniden, VTech, D-Link, etc.

The following image shows how Vonage exactly works:

Vonage is currently not available in India however I have known people using(or trying to use) it in India. For more India related information on Vonage visit the following links:
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic1350.html
http://internetvisita tion.org/forum/index.php?topic=27
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remar k,9004023~mode=flat?hilite=india

I’ll keep you updated if I find anything India specific.

This phone can easily be plugged in with a broadband connection and used to make internet calls through Skype internet telephony. It can easily switch between a regular and the internet phone.

It is a Skype certified phone which ensures the best performance when it comes to using this gadget as an internet phone. You can find out more about this product here dualphone.net or buy it here http://ntpuk.co.uk/dualphone-3088.htm or at Skype store. This product will be available with various retailers from Dec 1, 2006.

Get set to make cheap or almost free calls across the world.