The Evolution Of Cheap International Calls

Before the Internet, cheap international calls simply didn't exist. A traditional phone call was the only option available, and the telecommunications industry used this limited supply to maintain high rates. While difficult to imagine from a modern perspective, many families and friends waited to make their international calls during the holidays and other special occasions.

This all changed rapidly as the Internet became accessible to the masses and people had an instant connection to almost anywhere in the world. Keeping in contact with friends and family on a regular basis became the norm. The concept of taking to loved ones once per year seemed strange. But despite this, phone rates did not fall, which led people to look for other options.

Back then, few people realized just how much the Internet would revolutionize our world. Email fuelled globalization was amazing as it was, and no was picturing voice over the Internet yet. Then came instant messaging (IM), which is a service that allows people to communicate real-time via text. As IM became a worldwide phenomenon, developers began to integrate voice communication, which only required the IM software and a headset.

It was at this point that the telecommunications industry began to feel the impact of this new technology. Phone use for international calls was as low as it had been in decades, and more and more people were flocking to Internet-based alternatives. Soon, IM software with voice capabilities was adding video services. Now, IM offered something the phone companies could not. It even took mobile phones years to catch up.

So here we were. People were staying in constant contact with relatives and friends, and they were refusing to pay the high costs of traditional services. The telephone companies finally responded by lowering rates, but the rates weren't good enough to compete with free. They did allow for excellent bulk-buying opportunities, and there are still situations were landlines make the most sense. But it seems in retrospect that they waited too long.

Today, we have a wide number of options for making cheap international calls. For landlines, we can purchase prepaid phone cards or use an international call back service. At home and in the office, we can use VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, which is voice communications over the Internet. We can also use PC to Phone and PC to PC, which although not as convenient does provide us with calls that cost nothing other than the Internet service itself.

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