Skype hype looks to free phone calls

Nick Verhaar
Australian phone users will be watching with interest after the popular Voice over IP (VoIP) service Skype announced that all calls to landlines and mobile phones within the US and Canada can be made free of any charges.
Under normal circumstances, calls made to these lines via Skype were charged on a per minute basis, and although considerably cheaper than using a regular landline or mobile phone to make the call, they were not offered for free.
No signup fees or prepaid credit will need to be purchased. Users can simply download and install Skype and begin calling regular phone numbers within the US and Canada for free.
While already holding the title as the world’s most popular VoIP service, this new move is expected to attract an enormous amount of attention, with many newcomers potentially adopting Skype as their favourable method of communication.
It is unknown at this stage as to whether more countries will be made available to call for free.
If you are interested in checking out Skype then point your browser to http://www.skype.com and grab a copy of their free VoIP software.