I've read that Google Voice charges 1 cent/minute for calls overseas to/from the U.S. even if the user has a U.S. GV number. Is this true? Seems the only way they would know where calls are originated or terminated is by IP address. If it is true, is there a way that a friend overseas with an OBi 100 can call my OBi 100 in the U.S. via an OBi to OBi call, get my auto attendant and then call out to the U.S. via my OBi and thus avoid the 1 cent/minute charge? If so, whose number would show up on the caller ID of the person receiving the call? ???
No one has mentioned this yet on this forum.
Here are the posts that I read. Not sure if they are accurate or not.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/voice/thread?tid=5b46d846628208e8&hl=en
Quoteis there a way that a friend overseas with an OBi 100 can call my OBi 100 in the U.S. via an OBi to OBi call, get my auto attendant and then call out to the U.S. via my OBi and thus avoid the 1 cent/minute charge?
This is one of the best features of the Obi. Once you add the other Obi to your circle of trust, a call from the other Obi will get your auto attendant and can then press 1 to make a new call. (This is the simple intended way but not the most versatile for outgoing calls).
QuoteIf so, whose number would show up on the caller ID of the person receiving the call?
The number will be that of the service used to place the call from your Obi. If the call goes out on your google voice line it will carry the caller id of your google voice. You could set up their google voice account as your sp2 and then if they call out on that service it will carry their google voice id.
Quote from: gobigred on August 24, 2011, 07:43:27 AM
is there a way that a friend overseas with an OBi 100 can call my OBi 100 in the U.S. via an OBi to OBi call, get my auto attendant and then call out to the U.S. via my OBi and thus avoid the 1 cent/minute charge?
Using the configuration described in this thread:
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=1103.0
your friend can make calls directly through your OBi without even going through the Auto Attendant.
Thanks for the info guys! I haven't learned any of the expert mode programming. Not sure if/when I'll get into that but my brother-in-law might be interested in playing around with it if GV ends up charging per minute for calls to/from the U.S. Cheers!
The configuration I pointed you to is extremely easy to accomplish. It's simply a couple of copy/paste operations plus entering a couple of OBiTALK numbers. Don't let it intimidate you.
Quote from: gobigred on August 24, 2011, 07:43:27 AM
I've read that Google Voice charges 1 cent/minute for calls overseas to/from the U.S. even if the user has a U.S. GV number. Is this true? Seems the only way they would know where calls are originated or terminated is by IP address. If it is true, is there a way that a friend overseas with an OBi 100 can call my OBi 100 in the U.S. via an OBi to OBi call, get my auto attendant and then call out to the U.S. via my OBi and thus avoid the 1 cent/minute charge? If so, whose number would show up on the caller ID of the person receiving the call? ???
Your friend wouldn't need to even have their own OBi100, they could just use OBiAPP and a softphone on their PC or OBiON on their smart phone to access your OBi for dialing out. But having another OBi100 would definitely work too.
These little OBi's are very useful. :)
Dave