Long distance calls have been always worrisome, making us to constant watch over the call meters to be cautious so that calls would not exceed our budget limit. High billing system of international calls would either pinch our pocket if we prioritize on completing conversation or else, it would sting our heart for forcing ourselves to complete calls within fixed budget limit. Either way, international calls would never been satisfying, until and unless we are financially loaded enough not to care about the billing amount. However, as the world is becoming steep and steeper – most of us need to care about our pocket and look for ways to reduce costing. And here are some relief – while prices of almost everything else going upwards, billing of international calls are going reverse. Yes, thanks to the arrival of special technology called VoIP, steep international calls have turned to become cheap international calls.

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, one mode of communicating via Internet, is a way of making conventional international calls better and cheaper. To set up of a VoIP calling system, users are required following technical supports and devices-

1.a PC or a laptop
2.high speed Internet connection
3.a VoIP box or adapter for connecting phones to Internet
4.Opening of a reliable VoIP provider
5.Either a Wi-Fi enabled phone or a PDA phone. Most of the VoIP users today choose to use their mobile phones or they also use any VoIP soft phone which is adhered to laptop.

Now there are two options in which VoIP providers manage to lower international calls. The VoIP calling can be either absolutely free or some providers offer low cost services for letting their subscribers taking advantage of efficient, easy and cheap international calls. They charge minimal subscription fees for registering with them. While some best of the things in the world are no more free – some VoIP solutions are still available at free of cost. These free VoIP web applications providers allow people talking and exchanging messages and sharing images as well. These applications work in a manner that let users call any person’s PC or laptop where the same program is installed by just having to press ‘call’ or similar type of buttons to start conversing like people converse via normal telephones.

On the other hand, charge based VoIP calling plans cost small amount for monthly rent to offer customers with a host of various services including creation of caller id, call transfer, repeat dialing, call waiting, facility to call VoIP phones, calls between VoIP enabled phone and PC, conferencing among multiple users etc. Besides curtailing costs and making pocket friendly international calls, such charge based and low cost VoIP solutions give flexibility to subscribers to take along their numbers wherever they shift or travel anywhere under the sun. Therefore, subscribers can stay connected to their important business contacts or people from personal contacts using this cheap VoIP calling facility, just like conventional phones, but, at the cost of extremely cheap rates.

The popularity of 03 telephone numbers continues to escalate.

Many UK organisations are taking advantage of the relatively new number range that was launched by communications regulator Ofcom in 2007, including:

- The BBC (various 03 numbers throughout the corporation)
- Pioneer (0330 123 1240)
- The Metropolitan Police (0300 123 1212)
- NHS Change4Life (0300 123 3434)
- Comic Relief (03457 910 910)
- Nikon UK (0330 123 0932)
- The British Heart Foundation (0300 330 3311)

The 03 number range is split into three main segments:

-0303/0300 numbers for public bodies and charities only.
-0330/0333 numbers for any business or organisation
-03 equivalent numbers for any organisation that already had an 08 number and wants to exchange it for the 03 equivalent (e.g. BBC Radio 1 recently swapped its 08700 100 100 number for 03700 100 100).

03 numbers (http://www.windsor-telecom.co.uk/03-numbers.php) are an attractive alternative to 08 numbers (0800 numbers, 0845 numbers etc.) because they offer exactly the same call features (call divert, welcome messages etc.)  as 08 numbers, but cost people the same to call as regular landline numbers, beginning 01 and 02.

This means that organisations can have the incredible flexibility that all non-geographic numbers offer and give their callers excellent value.

Crucially, 03 numbers (http://www.windsor-telecom.co.uk/03-numbers.php) are also included in the free minutes bundles offered by all mobile phone networks, which is important when you consider that 40% of all calls made in the UK are from mobiles (Source: Ofcom 2008).

In fact, according to Ofcom, a notable 70% of people with a mobile and landline say they use their mobile to make some calls even when they are at home – with 10% never using their fixed line!
The main reason for this is because they want to utilise their inclusive minutes.

Depending on their deal, mobile phone users can receive anything between 100 and 3000 free minutes per month from the major networks (Orange, T-Mobile, O2, and Vodafone). The fact that only 14% of users exceed their free allocations means that the majority of the calls they make are free.

So what does this all mean for UK businesses?
Well, if 86% of mobile contract users do not exceed their inclusive minutes and around 40% of business calls are from mobiles, then an organisation which uses an 03 number would therefore receive around 35% of their total calls from people who are effectively paying nothing for the call.

The removal of the call cost barrier will mean that businesses receive more sales enquiries.

The major appeal of 03 numbers (http://www.windsor-telecom.co.uk/03-numbers.php), combined with the inclusive minutes offered by network providers is making the mobile phone an increasingly attractive option for consumers. Many are now reaching for their portable hand held device (which comes complete with mp3 player, camera and video recorder) to make calls rather than the traditional ‘dog and bone’ that sits gathering dust in the hallway.