For Cheap Calls to Italy, Use the Web
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Loading ...According to figures published at the end of 2008, Italy lies 12th in the list of total internet users by country, sandwiched between Spain at 11th and Mexico at 13th.
With an internet penetration percentage of 49% of the population it languishes well behind the UK which boasts 72% penetration, but it does mean that slightly more than 28million Italians have access to the internet. Indeed, almost one in 50 of all the world’s internet users are Italian, and they use it in exactly the same way as the rest of the world; social networking, online retailing, news and messaging are popular applications.
As in most western countries Italians who use the internet also use PC to PC based messenger systems to stay in touch with each other. That means that almost half of the population of Italy is accessible using text, voice or video calling. They can talk to their next door neighbour or family on the opposite side of the globe totally free and with almost equal ease, dependent upon the nature of their internet connection.
However, the remaining half of the Italian population that are yet to buy into the internet revolution can still be contacted via PC. VoIP (Voice over Internet protocol) allows PC users to dial landlines and mobiles in Italy directly from their computer. Using either the speakers and microphones built-in to their PCs, a special headset, or a dedicated DECT handset the PC user can then talk directly to a phone user in Italy.
Cheap calls to Italy can be placed via the internet following the simple installation of free VoIP software. Some VoIP providers now offer monthly subscriptions, as an alternative to one-off call charges. That means a subscriber can call landlines and, in some countries even mobiles, on an unlimited basis (according to a fair usage policy of course!), which makes keeping in touch with friends, family or colleagues in Italy far cheaper than calling from landlines or mobiles in the UK.
Some providers even allow users to purchase a phone number in a particular country, such as Italy, so that their Italian cousins can call them on that number from their mobiles and pay only the charges that apply within their country to keep in touch. When they dial such a number they are actually dialling the PC of the person they are trying to reach. Depending on the package that the user has bought, calls made to a PC may be diverted to a landline for a small fee or even for free. Keeping in touch with Italy has never been easier, nor cheaper thanks to the internet revolution.
Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
