I have tried various VoIP solutions, including Skype, Vonage, and Lingo. How about being able to use a VoIP solution even when Internet access is not available? Well, Lingo offers such a service. I have now tried Lingo for about 5 months and established a virtual number in Brazil, i.e. a local Rio number, that connects to my Lingo VoIP adapter. So, when I am in the USA someone in Rio can call my local Rio number and connect to me in the USA (or wherever I have my adapter).

However, when I am in Rio I have discovered a new use for this local number. In the USA I have a call service which allows me to make long distance calls. I forward my Lingo Rio # to this service when I am in Rio. I can then call my local Rio number with my local Rio phone or cell phone, connect to the service, dial a pin number, then dial a number on my USA system the same as a local call.

Or another option – buy local USA calling cards, i.e. those that allow you to make long distance calls in the USA for dirt cheap rates, i.e. 2 cents, forward the Lingo number to the access number of the calling card. All you have to do is enter the PIN # (or there are some services that allow you to register a phone number and then no PIN number is required). Then you call the Lingo local number, get a second dial tone (which is in the USA), then call out a cheap local rates.

Why would you want to do this? 1) Sometimes you might be in a place where Internet service is not available and you want to make cheap calls to the USA. 2) You need a safe, cheap, reliable back-up to your standard VoIP service. I have panicked many times in the past when my Internet service went down in Brazil and I have important client/customer calls. I remember spending a fortune in an Internet café for an important phone call, plus another time $3 a minute roaming on my cell phone. No more, if that happens I can use my local Rio phone or cell phone to make cheap calls to the USA via the Lingo number. 3) Other times the Internet service is too slow to support a quality VoIP call resulting in cut calls. 4) Your accommodation options increase and potential costs decrease, as Internet access is no longer so critical. No Internet access, no problem – use the hotel phone for your VoIP calls, coupled with a dial-up Internet service.

For those of you that like to travel to Brazil or Argentina, you are in luck. I only wish they had Columbia as well. Lingo has phone numbers in the following countries:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• Guatemala
• Hong Kong
• Italy
• Japan
• Mexico
• Puerto Rico
• South Korea
• Spain
• UK

Overall I have been very pleased with the sound quality of Lingo. In my opinion it is better then Vonage, plus it is $5.00 cheaper per month. PLUS you can call to most of Western Europe for FREE with the basic service.

LM:

I agree with you on Lingo. I have a local number in Rio. Last month when I way there, I forwarded calls to my prepaid MCI credit card that I purchased at Costco. Not counting the $10.00 monthly charge for the RJ #, I made many calls to the USA for $.03 / minute.

Good choice.

MM

LM...I know you to be a techie so that comes as a high recommendation without bias. Thanks for the insight into current technology.

Seems like somebody finally figured out how to do cellular VOIP without internet access.

Winning technology!

I've been using Lingo since August. Only problem I have had is 2 or 3 times my phone has not rang when a call came in. The local number feature is wonderful as it saves her money when calling me. I did the forwarding trick with http://www.3longdistance.com/ (spent $25 and got something like 750 minutes) and that has saved me a TON of money also.

Lingo now has an unlimited international package for $50 and Brazil is included (but I think cell phones are not).