Once upon a time, international calls were generally the sole domain of businesses and wealthy people. Most others reserved their international calls to friends and family for the holidays and other special occasions. Traditional international calls rack up too many fees, and it just was not practical to call on a more frequent basis than that.
However, the world changed with the advent of the Internet. Globalization was increasing at a phenomenal rate, and the world was more connected than it had ever been before. People began staying in touch longer with family and friends that were further away. Unfortunately, the cost of international calls did not go down to match the rising need. If anything, they went up, so people began looking elsewhere.
The same Internet that helped to globalize us has also served as a platform for other means to make international calls. Today, there are other options than simply picking up the phone and calling. One of the earliest and still very popular means of making global calls online is through an instant messaging (IM) service.
At first, international calls through IM were limited to being text-based affairs. It gets the job done in lieu of anything better, but it lacks that connection that hearing someone's voice provides. Soon, IM software began incorporating voice communications. All one needed was a microphone and headphones and they had access to free global calls that were close to the real thing.
Based on the success of using IM services for global calls, software developers began developing more full-featured platforms. Now it was possible to make calls via an IM-like software suite that also included sophisticated video conferencing and could extend beyond the bounds of IM by connecting to traditional landlines and even mobile phones.
People soon realized that these calls did not have to cost a great deal of money simply because the traditional phone companies were charging them exorbitant fees. Communications companies responded to this new competition by lowering the rates. The new rates were not low enough to compete with free, but what they did do was open the door for better bulk-buying opportunities.
Through these bulk-buying opportunities, the low rate access number companies are able to buy minutes at a huge discount, and thus offer fantastic rates on calling abroad.
Most people may still prefer to use some free means of calling online, but the low rate access numbers are a great alternative for international calls especially if you don't have a fast computer connection or want improved call quality.
The same Internet that helped to globalize us has also served as a platform for other means to make international calls. Today, there are other options than simply picking up the phone and calling. One of the earliest and still very popular means of making global calls online is through an instant messaging (IM) service.
At first, international calls through IM were limited to being text-based affairs. It gets the job done in lieu of anything better, but it lacks that connection that hearing someone's voice provides. Soon, IM software began incorporating voice communications. All one needed was a microphone and headphones and they had access to free global calls that were close to the real thing.
Based on the success of using IM services for global calls, software developers began developing more full-featured platforms. Now it was possible to make calls via an IM-like software suite that also included sophisticated video conferencing and could extend beyond the bounds of IM by connecting to traditional landlines and even mobile phones.
People soon realized that these calls did not have to cost a great deal of money simply because the traditional phone companies were charging them exorbitant fees. Communications companies responded to this new competition by lowering the rates. The new rates were not low enough to compete with free, but what they did do was open the door for better bulk-buying opportunities.
Through these bulk-buying opportunities, the low rate access number companies are able to buy minutes at a huge discount, and thus offer fantastic rates on calling abroad.
Most people may still prefer to use some free means of calling online, but the low rate access numbers are a great alternative for international calls especially if you don't have a fast computer connection or want improved call quality.
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