How to Make Unlimited Phone Calls While Traveling Abroad in Other Counties

Ever made an expensive international call from your hotel room to check-in with your family and friends back home? I'll bet you watched your watch like a hawk with those outrageous per-minute charges, unless of course you were Donald Trump. But most people nowadays travel with a laptop and hook-up to the hotel's high-speed internet and communicate via email. But the more internet savvy computer users have graduated to Skype and other free instant messaging services to chat live with text, voice and even video. But, is there a better middleman to internet phone calls than an expensive laptop?

Are Laptops a Weak Link?

Services such as Skype are fairly easy to use, but do require you to leave your computer on and stay signed-in to Skype. Sounds simple, but after repairing computers for many years, I saw customers with internet problems everyday, especially from malware, not to mention show-stopping hardware problems. Some were even stepped on, dropped, or damaged in the overhead storage compartments while flying abroad.

Even if your laptop does survive a flight (most do), a laptop is not a phone, it does not have a phone number that anybody can call you on, and with services like Skype, you cannot call real phone numbers without a paid subscription. Sure there is the MagicJack, but again, it relies on the health of your computer, and it is voice only (no video).

Free Long Distance and International Phone Calling?

So what is the best solution to make unlimited phone calls while travelling abroad? An Internet Video Phone! Internet video phones are not new, but they are more affordable than ever. One phone I know of is quite easy to use. You actually get assigned a real phone number. After the initial one-time setup, you just plug in 2 cords, one for the power, and one for the internet. The internet (ethernet) cable looks very much like a phone cable with a slightly larger connector. After powering-on the phone, it will automatically acquire an IP address from the internet service, after which you should have a dial-tone. Now you just leave it plugged in like any phone and make and receive calls like you normally would from home. It is that easy!

While you can expect a monthly service charge as with any phone service, it is probably about the same you are paying for your local phone service, with no additional charges for domestic long distance calls. As for international calling, an internet video phone is needed in the foreign location, meaning you will have to bring your internet video phone with you, or send one to someone abroad. Imagine being in Europe, Asia or wherever with a U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico area code! The only caveat is that it needs to be connected to a high-speed internet service and a compatible power source. It would be a good idea to carry an international power converter kit when using it abroad. As for home or office use, you should also have a router so you can share your internet connection with your computer and internet video phone simultaneously.

Putting it Another Way

I know many people understand that we are talking about VoIP Video phones, but just to make it more clear, it is like a "portable" digital phone service with video; complete with an assigned phone number, a webcam, LCD screen and speakerphone. The calls are routed through the internet, and with today's high-speed internet, video and voice come through with amazing clarity.

Creative Uses

It seems like everyone has a cell phone these days, and it won't be much longer before every household has a "video phone". It is available now, and I can't even conceive of the creative ways people will find to use them. I know one way would be for deaf and/or mute people to use sign-language over the phone, instead of TTY/TDD devices. And can you imagine the money an international business could save? The advantages are endless.

A spoken word is very powerful, and a picture is worth a thousand words, but a video is priceless.

As exciting as Video Phones have become already, it is the "business" behind the Video Phones that is even more exciting. Watch the video for more information at: http://www.NixTheRatRace.com

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