Kelvin Chan, Associated Press
London (AP) – Skype is dead. What now?
With Microsoft closure of Skype on May 5th, millions of users sent scramble to find an alternative to pioneering internet phone services.
Buyed by Microsoft in 2011, Skype was loved by a declining group of users who not only communicated with other users via chat messages, audio and video calls, but also evaluated how they could make cheap long distance calls.
I liked its simplicity and ease of use, for example, the benefits of setting up communication apps for older parents living far away.
Or they used it out of habit.
Skype was founded in 2003 and was the first wave of communication services using Internet Protocol Technology (VOIP) that converts audio into digital signals.
Skype’s loss disappearance makes it inconvenient for other expatriates living abroad who signed up for example because they needed a US-based number to receive a text authentication code from their home bank. It was also convenient to call 800 numbers for free even if you don’t live in North America.
Here’s a guide to life after Skype:
what’s happening
Microsoft announced in late February that it would close Skype on May 5th, shifting some of its services to a video conferencing and group collaboration platform for Microsoft teams and its flagship offices.
Skype users can have the option to log in to teams using their existing accounts and automatically migrate contacts and chats.
If you have a Skype number or a call subscription, it will no longer be automatically renewed on April 3rd.
If you still have credits in your account, you can access the Skype dial pad from your web portal or team to make a call.
Your Skype number will not expire immediately on May 5th, so you can receive your phone call until your subscription expires. However, you will need to use a team or open the Skype dialpad in the web portal to receive them.
Port your number
If your Skype number has not expired and you don’t want to lose it, you will need to forward it to another provider.
Skype numbers can be ported to telephone carriers or other number of VoIP services. However, you will need to start the process through a new provider, not Skype.
Google Audio
Google users can access online search giant internet telephone services and make calls from their smartphone or desktop web browser. You can get your own Google Voice Phone Number and use features such as call forwarding and voicemail. Alternatively, you could port the number from another service like Skype, but it costs $20.
Call us, Canada or Puerto Rico numbers are free. Prices in other countries vary.
The free version of Google Voice is only available to US residents physically located in 48 adjacent states. This means that expatriates can only be used if they register before moving abroad.
According to the help page, “You cannot sign up for Google voice numbers outside of the US.” “Don’t try to avoid this using a VPN.”
Viber
Owned by Japan’s Lakten, Viber has long been considered one of Skype’s closest competitors. One important difference is that Skype users do not need a phone number, they are identified by their username, and Viber users need a number to register with the service.
Like Skype, Viber users can purchase credits or packages to call phone numbers around the world, but they cannot get Viber numbers and receive calls.
zoom
Synonymous with online corporate meetings, video conferencing services offer features such as call services, Zoom phone, number porting, and SMS text messages sending and receiving.
Please note that Zoom calls are not free. There are various call plans including monthly subscription costs and additional international calls.
team
Microsoft users have the option to call a team, known as a team phone. Like a Zoom phone, you will need to purchase a subscription and pay additional fees for international phones.
However, Microsoft says that team phones are not available for consumer use and are available to small businesses, so it’s not an option for ordinary people.
Wireless carrier
You absolutely need a US number, but if you live abroad, sign up for the service with a low-cost virtual wireless carrier that offers cheap mobile phone plans or pay-as-you-go rates.
One provider, Tello, offers a monthly plan for just $5, says users can activate the service even if they live outside the US
Mobile virtual network operators like Tello are wireless telephone companies that keep pigs from larger carrier physical networks, so they cannot use it to make phone calls on computers or apps.
voip it
There are plenty of Skype Pretenders that offer phones over the internet, including Zoiper, voip.ms, Callcentric, Mytello, virtual landlines, and more. Most are aimed at business users.
Some people use Skype’s missing failure. Starting as an anonymous calling app, Hushed charges itself as a Skype alternative. Users can purchase phone numbers from the US, Canada, the UK, Puerto Rico and port their numbers.
Some of those numbers warn that they are not guaranteed to work with third-party verification text messages.
“While we do not intentionally block receiving these codes, some services often prevent their own security policies from sending confirmation text to certain phone numbers,” Hushed said on its website.
Park your number
Maybe you can’t decide which calling service you want to switch to. If you want to store your current number, there are services that simply park your number, such as Numberbarn.com or Parkmyphone.com.
You can save your phone number at a monthly fee while relaying text messages sent to that number. You can port your number to another service at any time.
Please note, you can only port to us or Canadian phone numbers.
esims
What about international ESIM? They are virtual versions of mobile SIM cards that you can purchase and add to your phone while traveling to save on roaming fees.
They offer cheap data access rates so you can use the internet without worrying about getting a huge bill when you get home.
Unfortunately, due to the “basic differences” between VoIP services and traditional mobile networks, Skype numbers cannot be ported to international ESIM, says Pedro Maiquez, co-founder of ESIM provider Holafly. “Skype numbers are not tied to the physical infrastructure of mobile carriers and are not compatible with mobile ESIM solutions.”
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