Free phone numbers (Sipgate)

Member Name: alphason

Product:	Sipgate
Date:	21/07/08 (513 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free/low cost calls/ free number/ voicemail

Disadvantages: none yet

##So what's VOIP?##

VOIP is voice over Internet protocol, basically it is a system that allows you to use your Interent connection for voice telephone calls - probably the most well know VOIP service is Skype.

Sipgate is a German based VOIP company but of interest to most of us is www.sipgate.co.uk the Uk arm.

##Free telephone number##

The the main advantage for me over many other providers is that Sipgate will provide you with a FREE geographical telephone number. This means that you get a real telephone number with the dialling code for your local geographical area for example in London your number would begin 02, you can also opt to have a free 0845 number if you wish, this means that peole can you as they would any other UK number.

##Costs##

Costs nothing to join and setup and free geographical number.
Incoming calls are free. Outgoing calls to a UK landline number cost 1.19p per minute and to mobiles 9.9 p per minute, and there are also decent International rates. If you wish you can prepurchase 1000 minutes of UK fixed line calls per month for 5.90 which is only 0.0059 pence per minute.

If you have friends on Sipgate you can call them for free as with most other providers, a good bonus is you can also call the members of the following VOIP services for free:
Freenet IPhone,
IPTel,
Telio.no,
Gradwell.com

##Making a call##

To make a call you need to download Sipgate's free softphone, this application will come ready configured for your account so virtually no setting up is required other than adjusting microphone and headphone volume. To dial a call just punch in the number on the virtual keypad and off you go - dead easy.

I actually used my PC's built in microphone and PC for some time and had good results, I now have a plug in headset which helps if there is ambient noise around you. Sipgate offer a whole range of headsets from their site and you can also purchase more conventional styled telephones, these can be plugged directly into a router avoiding the need to keep your PC on.

##Voicemail##

A good feature is the free voicemail which is configured from your account on www.sipgate.co.uk, this service will take voice messgaes for you if you are offline or away. You can pick up your messages from either calling from a normal phone or via your sipagate account. A really handy feature that I use is to have the message sent to my email address as an audio file, this works great and is free so basically you can get yourself a free voicemail with local number for free!!

##Quality##

Call quality seems as good as any other service I have used, occasionaly I have experience a little bit of a voice lahg effect but I think this is more due to general connecion speeds rather tahn Sipgate itself.

Overall a great service that gives a free number and sipgate to sipagate calls, and low cost landline calling.

You can use this service from anywhere in the world, so if you are overseas you can have a local UK number for people to call you on (you must be in the UK when you register to get a geographical number). I love the voicemail functions.

Summary: Great value