Skype Partners with a Ukrainian Mobile Carrier for Cheap VoIP Calls

Of course we all know how expensive long-distance phone calls can be, especially when you happen to use your cell. As a result of the high prices many people will usually choose landline to make a call or will use services offered by numerous VoIP for cheap long-distance calls. I guess the best-known provider of such services is eBay-owned Skype: many people use Skype as the ultimate solution both to talk to other Skype users around the world for free and as a much less expensive alternative to traditional landline calls abroad.

But using a service like Skype on the go with nothing but your mobile device can be a big issue as cell phone carriers are rarely very willing to offer their subscribers an opportunity to access VoIP applications – hoping they will pay for expensive international calls instead of paying for the data used for VoIP calls only. Yet users are usually more than willing to have access to cheaper alternatives so chances are we will still see various carriers coming up with solutions to both let people save on long-distance calls and still make money off such calls.

Today’s example is a Ukrainian wireless carrier PEOPLEnet that has just announced a partnership with Skype that will allow its subscribers to use Skype by simply dialing 123 right on their phones to call any landline or cell phone in any country. The interesting thing is that one does not even have to be a Skype user to make such calls as the cost of a call will simply be deducted from the subscriber’s account with PEOPLEnet.

This approach sounds like a very reasonable measure to actually help subscribers cut costs where they need to and offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional calls – which is of particular importance now that we are facing the large-scale world financial crisis. Too bad not all the carriers of the world already realize people are looking for better deals everywhere we can – be it in grocery shopping or in calling our friends and family abroad to send our best holiday wishes.

Via (in Russian)