I use two different solutions. One is Skype. I've found it works best for outgoing calls. Since it's run through my PC, it does take a little more effort than a plain telephone handset to use, but the voice quality has been fine, and calls are very cheap. PC-to-PC calls using Skype are free worldwide.
The solution I prefer is Vonage. I signed up for an account before I left the US, and had my old home phone number assigned to my new Vonage account. I then took the Vonage hardware with me to NZ, hooked it up to my DSL line along with a phone handset that I bought locally, and it works great. I have the unlimited monthly plan, so there are no per-minute costs to the US. Calls to the UK are also free, I think. Other VOIP / Internet-based systems should be able to provide similar functionality.
One side-benefit of this setup is that my friends in the US can call me cheaply too, using the same home phone number that we've had for almost 20 yrs. I still get calls from people I haven't spoken to in a while, asking if I'd like to come by -- when I explain that I'm actually in NZ, most are very surprised and confused....
|