I've been using Skype for about 7 years now, to call from computer to computer or from computer to mobile. I've never had a reason to look elsewhere; the sound quality is good to great in almost all calls (and otherwise re-dailing helps), and I'm spending less than $5 per month.

all very interesting but:........to use voip you need an internet connection. this requires a land line connection via one of the providers ( swisscom etc.) so although your calls are reduced in cost or free ( via skype etc.) spending less than $5 per month is great, but it's misleading if you don't add the cost of internet connectivity. no matter how you slice the apple, you end up paying. and in CH, connectivity charges for internet are among the highest. sorry to rain on your parade!!

Have never heard of Google voice number. Could you explain a bit more?

Is whatsapp costly? How much does it reduce costs?

I get your point, but I don't necessarily agree. Assuming that you have an internet connection at your home already (which most people do), you save money by using VoIP instead of a regular phone or mobile.Not to mention that many people could use VoIP at work or at school.

Google Voice is free service that provides you with a telephone number.  When someone calls that number gv forwards the call to another number for example your home, office, mobile or PC or any combination.  The link is https://www.google.com/voice/  it can be difficult to set up outside the USA.

Whatsapp is a .99 cents a year (free for a year for android) its available for Android, Blackberry and Iphone it lets you send texts for free to your contacts who also have the application.   http://www.whatsapp.com/

Correct but I would rather just pay Switzerlands high internet costs and avoid their high telephone costs.  Basicly ISPs US included are charging 3 times for the same conection (phone, internet and now television) VOIP negates the need to pay for a fixed line and by extension the need  to pay for long distance.

Gmail lets you call the USA or Canada for free.... (that's if you call there for any reason)

Simply sing on gmail and you'll see the make a phone call option. 

"VOIP negates the need to pay for a fixed line and by extension the need  to pay for long distance."

please explain how you can have internet access without paying for the fixed line ( swisscom is sfr. 25.50 monthly and cablecom is sfr. 20.- ) if i remember correctly.

swisscom does a deal if you have a mobile with them. they charge you 47.- sfr monthly on top of the mobile service charge for internet at home, with no phone service, but internet access.

For the ones who speaks a bit of German you should subscribe to www.10787.ch  -> you add a preselection before calling from you landphone, and you can call with their rate.

 My boyfriend and I called often Brazil and Canada, and the rate is even better than with Skype...  4ct only per minutes for Brazil vs 8ct on Skype.

But computer to computer, skype stays the best :) But our parents don't really know skype : )

Cheers

please explain how you can have internet access without paying for the fixed line ( swisscom is sfr. 25.50 monthly and cablecom is sfr. 20.- ) if i remember correctly.

Well you could simply just use VOIP on 3g and though I am not sure in Switzerland if a fixed line is mandated in the US it is not and you can order just internet.  

However, to get back on the point.  With costs of infrastructure being what they are,  channeling all your so called long distance calls through the internet is far more economical then using the long distance service on your regular phone. Factor in the savings for phone calls on your mobile and the savings for text messaging and you see it's really quite significant.   New VOIP software and hardware has made the whole process more convenient then ever befor. 

If you have a SwissCom landline and want to combine it with the convenience of Skype I highly recommend this: http://dualphone.net/DUALphone_3088_for_Skype-789.aspx

Works a treat and you can make both regular landline and Skype calls with great quality. May not be the cheapest but sure is the most convenient if you don't want to mess with computers and headsets.

Skype/VOIP on 3G?  Not recommended, unless you have a high capacity (expensive) data plan..  or it will cost you a small sportscar per hour of talk. 

Yeah? I was just going to ask whats it like to use skype over 3G. In some countries there is a provider called 3, which offers unlimited use of 3G for the purpose of skype. I guess they have some deal with skype. Very interesting offer. Sadly, it doesn't seem to exist here. Would be a good way to get the most of your 3G phone.

Actually im disspointed with 3G here, its very expensive and such a limited amount of data. How can 1g be enough per month. Its a joke.

Well speaking of this topic is there a way to sent text messages over 3g? A text message takes almost no amount of date so it would be cheaper to send it over 3g then pay 0.1chf which you pay on orange for example.

The providers are hoping you will use more than the allocated 1GB.. especially, if you happen to be on another network.

Actually this depends. Many providers rather than charging extra if you go over this amount instead slow down your connection.

3G is not yet at the level to be readily usable. I have actually not seen any provider in any country yet who offers you more than 1g, never mind unlimited.

The free use of skype over 3g with 3 (not available in switzerland) is the closest thing to a usable internet on a mobile device.

Watch out for hidden downloads too...like Lebara.  They ripped me off 30CHF in one week, by somehow sending data feeds to my phone that I was oblivious to!

I have my internet over mobile network deactivated on my iphone. I have wife at home and at work. And if I get lost somewhere and need to use the maps or am dead bored on 3 hour train to zurich i can turn it on. Sometimes when I use my text message app on iphone it reminds me that the data is switched off. Why would I need to have it on for sending text messages? Is orange trying to also rip me off by sending me some useless stuff?

Or you can take advantage of the free Wi-Fi is places such as Perle du Lac :-)

That's the thing, I had both Location Services and 3G switched off! But these b*stards in Lebara found a way round ripping me off 30CHF.

That's practical. Are they in different countries?

Is what what? Amd sorry I meant to put wifi not wife... lol

Other than that, I just use Opera Mini with Turbo (compression) turned on and images turned off. That substantially cuts down on the used data.

For the hassle, it's just not worth it for me to fiddle with mobile VOIP.

I have Lebara's SURF-option, which is 125MB/mo for 5CHF. It's enough for email, the news and the occasional PDF. Needless to say, I do not data roam, when outside CH.. they are just waiting for that to happen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutchison_3G

... this is the operator who gives you free use of skype in some countries

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Consumer_groups_slam_high_roaming_charges.html?cid=30592766“

exerpts...

“Swiss mobile phone tariffs abroad are a total cheek and we cannot tolerate this in the long term,” said Peter Salvisberg, member of the board at the K-Tipp consumer magazine.
 
"Swiss consumers pay more than all the members of the 27-strong European Union and the gap is going to get bigger. On July 1 the EU introduced a common tariff: calling from abroad will cost no more than 35 euro cents (43 Swiss cents) a minute and sending a text less than 11 euro cents.

                    .....

"K-Tipp does not agree. On June 15 it handed in a petition signed by 55,000 people to Doris Leuthard, the minister in charge of communications.
 
“It only took five weeks to gather these signatures,” Salvisberg said. “This shows that people have had enough of Swiss telecoms companies’ exorbitant rates. We are therefore calling on Doris Leuthard to intervene at Swisscom, a firm in which the government is the majority shareholder, to ensure that international roaming costs are reduced.”
 
According to Salvisberg, in a free market the move would oblige other operators to drop their prices, which would remove the need for an agreement with Brussels.
 
“Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, all non-EU members, have adopted the European tariffs. Why can’t Switzerland do the same? It’s a question many consumers are asking,” added Salvisberg, who is hoping for a satisfactory reply from Leuthard in the next few weeks.

Well speaking of this topic is there a way to sent text messages over 3g? A text message takes almost no amount of date so it would be cheaper to send it over 3g then pay 0.1chf which you pay on orange for example.

I have been using "Whatsapp" to send texts/mms over 3g.   It only works with other phones that also have the app installed, but I think it's becoming very popular.   I also use google voice (or even the chat in gmail) to send and recieve free texts to and from the USA and Canada over 3g

Yes I am aware of that. Sadly most of my friends dont have supported phones making it useless.

But I am told iOS5 will have something like this preinstalled. Which will be interesting...

Good luck harmonizing your friends and contacts on a particular platform and/or application.

Skype IN (online number ) is my favorite skype function.  5 euro per month and my internet un-savy mother and grandmother can annoy me via phone all they want from their mobile in the U.S. without costing anything for them..  this was the best thing I found for people from home to be able to contact me without them having to pay.  With the ability to use skype on the Iphone its extremely practical as well as super inexpensive.

I tried google voice a year ago, but it gave me the speech that you had to be invited.. and when they were offering it again they would send me the invite, invite never came..

Thanks.