iPhone can now make international phone calls for the price of local(domestic) wireless rates

Multi-provider VoIP over GSM on the iPhone
Posted 18 January 2008 @ 2am in News

We've been beta testing a promising new Web-based app for the iPhone,
dubbed RingFree (go to https://rf.com on your iPhone to try it) that
offers the ability to make calls through a variety of VoIP SIP
providers using normal voice calls on the AT&T GSM network, or any
other standard iPhone voice provider. The method is similar to the one
used by Talkety, where calls are routed through an external server
instead of through the iPhone's data connection, but it allows the use
of any designated VoIP provider or your own Asterisk/SIP server and
doesn't require you to receive a call in order to make one (like
Talkety).

Here, in a nutshell, is how the app works: A user registers with
RingFree, entering his iPhone number and providing some other
information. The user is then prompted to call a country-local number
to confirm their information by entering a PIN. Once logged into the
site, the user selects from a list of pre-defined VoIP providers
(including VoicePulse, Gizmo Project, PhoneGnome and others) or
defines his own by entering a proxy address, username and password.

After selecting or defining a provider, the user can access the Web
app's keypad, which looks something like the iPhone's standard dialer,
selects the preferred VoIP provider from a menu, and hits "Call." The
call sends a bit of JavaScript over EDGE to retrieve a local number
from the VoIP provider, which the user is prompted to dial with the
iPhone's native phone application. When this number is dialed, the
VoIP provider is triggered to dial the number entered in the Web app,
and the call goes through. In other words, RingFree is a sort of
virtual dialer -- it's an automatic link to VoIP providers that uses
standard voice minutes to make VoIP calls. It doesn't require any
hacking or jailbreaking, nor does it require the presence of a WiFi
network. Only a small amount of data is transferred over EDGE (or
other GPRS network) to make the call.

The net effect is this: you can (for example) use your local, US AT&T
minutes to make calls to the United Kingdom for only the cost of the
local minutes plus whatever your VoIP provider charges. VoicePulse,
for instance, charges just over a penny per minute for calls to the
UK.

We've been using a test SIP server to make calls, and the results are
impressive. Voice quality is relatively good, the calls go through
fairly quickly, and we didn't need to be in range of a WiFi network
nor be in particularly strong EDGE coverage for the service to work
properly.

RingFree also lets you make calls to Google Talk and MSN voice
accounts.

4phun <vic.healey@gmail.com> wrote in news:f03ba491-7cb1-42a4-9101-
b62d5aa1927d@z17g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

> We've been beta testing a promising new Web-based app for the iPhone,
> dubbed RingFree (go to https://rf.com on your iPhone to try it) that
> offers the ability to make calls through a variety of VoIP SIP
> providers using normal voice calls on the AT&T GSM network, or any
> other standard iPhone voice provider. The method is similar to the one
> used by Talkety, where calls are routed through an external server
> instead of through the iPhone's data connection, but it allows the use
> of any designated VoIP provider or your own Asterisk/SIP server and
> doesn't require you to receive a call in order to make one (like
> Talkety).
>

"# RingFree enables you to use the SIP, Voice over IP, PBX and/or IP-
based phone systems you already have from your iPhone.
# Make international calls on your iPhone for the same great rate rates
you get from your home phone."


So, for $30/yr, they'll forward your SELLphone calls to your EXISTING
phone system so you can be fleeced AGAIN? You call them. They connect
your SELLphone to your own phone system so you can pay, again, at "the
same great rate rates you get from your home phone"?

This is stupid!

Wouldn't free be better? How about calling Skypers, too, from your
iPhone (or ANY SELLphone as you don't need to "run" anything).

http://www.mobivox.com/

Sign up for a Mobivox account, it's free! Select an access POTS number
near you. If you have free LD on your SELLphone plan, it matters not if
Mobivox doesn't have a local number, it still only costs you airtime.
They get hundreds of new access numbers every month. Have all you
iPhoney and other SELLphone friends sign up, too, anywhere on the
planet. Calls from Mobivox to Mobivox users, interconnected through
Mobivox servers is always free and unlimited. Talk forever, costs you
nothing. If you want to call to non-members and POTS phones, it's
1.9c/min from your pre-charged account ($10 from your credit card) to
most civilized places who don't force you to pay THEIR SELLphone bill by
remote control. The rates for the crazies are on Mobivox's site, as
cheap as anyone else.

NOW you have SKYPE on your iPhone (or any other SELLphone), whether
Crapple or ATT wants it or not! Mobivox is Skype connected. It uses
caller ID to automatically download your Skype contact list from the
Skype server farm. To call your Skype buddy, Freddy, on your list, just
TELL the Skype girl who answers the access number. She'll tell you how,
but you can talk over her if you already know. Mobivox is great for
Iphones because it's voice activated, not touchtones.

For $30, what this call forwarder wants, you can talk to a POTS in
Europe for $30/.019=1578 mins or a little over 26 HOURS! You can talk
to other iPhones whoh are members and Skypers across the planet for
FREE!

-----------------------------------

My connection to Mobivox goes back to the beginning of their company. I
was an original beta tester for their PC-based Skype interconnect before
they scrapped that idea and moved the system to their own servers so you
don't need to run your PC all the time, now. Just use theirs. Your
only expenses are:

1) whatever airtime you burn up on your SELLphone. $0 on free n/w. You
"pay" for the call to the access number. If you have an access number
in your city, and there are now lots more, call from a landline to the
local number for free. If Mobivox doesn't recognize the caller ID, say
from your mom's house, she'll ask you to SAY your username/password to
access your system. You can logon from any phone this way.

2) the time charges to call POTS/Cells from NON MEMBERS off the rate
chart. Mobivox is cheaper than Skype (1.9 vs 2.1c/min) to most
civilized places.

No monthly fees, no odd funny business...just like Skype.

I know people using Mobivox that don't have a SELLphone. Their account
runs off their landline. Get the whole family on Mobivox and talk to
anyone for free, even on AT&T wired scamlines.