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Prohibitive international call charges mean that it can be painfully expensive to make calls to Pakistan from the UK. If you've got friends and family living in Pakistan, you may find that you talk to them much less frequently that you'd like to. Luckily, new VoIP technology means that cheap phone calls or even free international calls to Pakistan are now available to everyone.
Have you got friends and family in Pakistan? If so, how do you stay in touch? Letters, postcards and email are great, but they're just not the same as a proper conversation. People are often reluctant to pick up the phone to call friends and family in Pakistan, though. The tariffs are simply often too high to justify the call, they feel. And even if they do phone, they can't really relax and enjoy the conversation, because they know that with every minute, the phone bill is soaring. It's the same with international calling cards – you can't concentrate on the conversation because you're worried about how much credit the call is eating up. So, to save money, people will often avoid phoning their friends and relatives in Pakistan, or only do so rarely.
There is, though, a way to make free international calls or cheap phone calls to Pakistan – by avoiding traditional phone lines altogether. It's possible thanks to modern Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which makes calls over a broadband connection. VoIP turns spoken words into digital signals that travel across the internet, then turns them back into speech at the other end.
There are two main ways you can use VoIP to make free calls or cheap calls to Pakistan.
1. ‘PC to PC'
In this set-up, VoIP software turns your computer into a telephone. You, and those you're talking to in Pakistan, must both sign up to compatible VoIP providers such as Skype or MSN. If only works if you've both got a computer or laptop, a broadband connection, a headset/ microphone/ speaker (which may already be on your computer).
This system may suit you fine. It's certainly the cheapest option, as it enables you to make free international calls. But it does have its limitations. You and the person in Pakistan both need to be at a computer, and you both need to have signed up with compatible providers. You can also use PC to PC system to make calls to other landlines or mobiles in Pakistan, though you'll be charged for these by the minute. Bear in mind, too, that the quality of the call probably won't be as good as that of a regular landline or mobile phone.
2. Phone to phone
If you want greater flexibility of making cheap phone calls using a traditional home telephone (instead of through your PC with headsets), it might be worth thinking about signing up with a VoIP provider that allows you to do this. What usually happens is that you opt for one or other of the call plans the provider offers. Depending on the call plan, these offer free calls to various countries – or you can get a really basic call plan that simply includes unlimited anytime calls to the UK.
Because they use VoIP technology, these service providers can also afford to offer highly competitive international tariffs for calls to other countries. So if you find that Pakistan doesn't feature in any of the call plans offered, don't worry. If Pakistan is the only international country you want to call, you can simply sign up to the service provider's most basic call plan. As soon as you've signed up, you'll have full access to the provider's full range of cheap international tariffs, including Pakistan. If you're likely to call other international countries, check to see whether they're included in any call plans. By comparing the call plans and international tariffs, you should be able to work out what's best for you.
With this ‘phone to phone' system, you'll get a special adapter from your VoIP provider. By using this adapter to connect your normal handset to your computer or router, you can effectively take advantage of VoIP technology – but use your normal phone to make ‘phone-to-phone' calls to Pakistan. The only difference is that the calls go through your existing broadband connection – and not through a landline. It means that you can simply pick up the phone and dial a number in Pakistan. The person you're calling doesn't need to have a computer, or broadband. The call quality is so good that the person you're calling won't know you're using VoIP.
So if you want the pleasure of being able to make long, guilt-free, cheap calls to Pakistan, VoIP might be the way to go. You'll never worry about your phone bill again.
The problem of how to make cheap calls to Pakistan is still a bugbear for friends, family and businessmen alike. With millions of Pakistanis living across the globe, most of whom have close friends and relations in Pakistan, the demand for cheap calls has risen considerably. But costly international charges mean that friends and family have often gone for several weeks at a time without speaking to each other.
Of course, there is email, but that can come across as impersonal. Sometimes, only a phone call will do. If you live in London, and your cousin is celebrating a significant birthday in Islamabad, you probably wouldn't want to just send her an email. This is especially true of business communications: there are certain exchanges for which email will do, but there are other times when it has to involve a phone call. With Pakistan's resurgence as a business supporter and generator across the globe, it's easy to see why telephone communication is becoming such an issue.
Fortunately, developments in communications technology now mean that cheap calls to Pakistan are a reality for friends, family and businesses worldwide. VoIP technology offers convenience and cost-efficiency in one package. Users who decide to take advantage of the cheap calls to Pakistan offered by VoIP service providers typically need three things:
1. a traditional landline or digital phone
2. a broadband connection
3. a VoIP adapter
This adapter connects their ordinary landline telephone to their existing broadband connection. This set-up allows them to then make and receive cheap calls to and from Pakistan. With few wires to maintain and much less paperwork to worry about, VoIP providers are able to keep their costs right down, and pass on the savings to their customers. VoIP calls to Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi or anywhere else in Pakistan are a fraction of the cost of traditional phone lines. Depending on the call plans the VoIP provider offers, you'll probably be able to make calls to landlines in various other countries for free.
Of course, different VoIP providers offer different benefits. Some may offer a low cost per minute rate to specific countries. Others offer a capped or unlimited subscription fee. You simply work out which country or countries you want to be able to call and pick a package that suits you. Your bill will be capped and include unlimited calls to the countries in that package, no matter how many times you call. This means that you can call much more frequently, at a fraction of the cost of standard phones. It's perfect for friends and family who live in different parts of the world, and vital for businesses that need to stay in touch with international colleagues or clients. At the end of each month, your bill will be the same. If you need to call a country that's not in your call plan, you can do that, too, as VoIP providers can offer international tariffs that are extremely competitive. The best advice for potential customers is to shop around.
Another major breakthrough of VoIP services is call manageability. This means that there are many more ways you can keep track of any calls you make to Pakistan, or anywhere else, thanks to the extra web-based services that VoIP offers. For instance, you can set up your account to reject anonymous calls, forward calls to another number your mobile, for example, return calls alert you to a call waiting. So you'll never miss an important call from family or clients in Pakistan. You can manage all these features from your web based control panel, which means that you have full control over your VoIP line, no matter where in the world you are.
With the cost of International calls climbing, it's probably just a matter of time before we all turn our backs on conventional telephones and use VoIP to make all our calls.