# Holy crap! Skype letting users call landlines for free in US and Canada!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-skype-letting-users-call-landlines-for-free-in-us-and-canada/356902>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 16, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-skype-letting-users-call-landlines-for-free-in-us-and-canada/356902 "2006-05-16T00:11:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-skype-letting-users-call-landlines-for-free-in-us-and-canada/356902/1 "2006-05-16T00:11:42Z")

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Check it out!  
[www.skype.com](http://www.skype.com)

I just called my Mom a few states for, totally for free.

They say they are doing this until at least the end of year.

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-skype-letting-users-call-landlines-for-free-in-us-and-canada/356902/2 "2006-05-16T02:53:55Z")

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small correction: landlines and mobile phones, too. In other words, real phones, not just other computers running Skype.

and that should have said “I just called my Mom a few states **away** , totally for free.”

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**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-skype-letting-users-call-landlines-for-free-in-us-and-canada/356902/3 "2006-05-16T06:31:45Z")

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This caused me to download and reinstall Skype. I put in my old username and password, and before I realised it, I got what seemed to be an ad in Esperanto!

It was for supporting a movie that I was going to anyways, but still.

I looked closer, and saw that it was one user’s message next to their displayed name, and part of the beginning of their profile message. So not a paid ad. But it startled me…

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-skype-letting-users-call-landlines-for-free-in-us-and-canada/356902/4 "2006-05-16T14:04:04Z")

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I can’t believe there isn’t more buzz about this. It’s FREE LONG DISTANCE! Sure, it’s been pretty cheap for while, but now there no reason not to call people across the country, they don’t even need a computer, you can call their regular phone.

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-skype-letting-users-call-landlines-for-free-in-us-and-canada/356902/5 "2006-05-17T01:28:38Z")

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OK, better hurry!  
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051500558.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051500558.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Some analysts said the offer would spur movement of legislation to regulate companies like Skype, which are not obligated to pay universal access fees or offer emergency 911 service. A bill offered by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, proposes to levy fees on voice-over-Internet companies, and hearings on the legislation are scheduled later this week.

But it sounds like there’s probably nothing to worry about, at least right away:

> [@](#):
>
> But few expect the bill to reach a vote because it also includes several other measures on which there is wide disagreement.

Actually, that article is somewhat wrong about 911; in fact I spent a lot of time last year implementing 911 for the VOIP company I was working for, because the FCC made it mandatory for VOIP. I wonder if these free Skype calls can do 911?