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freeconference blocked - any alternitive?

Started by wpsb, February 08, 2017, 02:17:12 PM

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wpsb

I just moved my phone number over from ooma to GV. I was using freeconference.com a lot but looks like GV is blocking it. Any suggestions for a workaround or way to make calls using something similar to GV for free?

SteveInWA

There is no such thing as "FREE" conference calling.  Somebody has to pay for it.  "Freeconference.com" has to make money somehow.  So, "Freeconference.com" is scamming other telephone carriers, via a practice known as "access stimulation" or "traffic pumping."  In this scam, the conference company makes an arrangement with a small, rural telephone company that is authorized to charge very high interconnection rates to other telephone companies which connect to their telephone numbers.  The rural telco then shares the revenue from these exorbitantly-high-rate calls with the conference calling company.  It's unlawful under FCC regulations.

You can read more about it here:  https://www.fcc.gov/general/traffic-pumping

Google Voice used to block these calls.  Now, as an accommodation to its users, Google Voice charges one cent per minute to call these numbers.  Your account doesn't have any calling credit on it, so the calls fail.  You either need to add calling credits, or not use the conference calling service with Google Voice.

azrobert

There is a service call Tropo that has a conference feature. They offer a FREE development account. Production accounts are not free. I don't know when they consider your account Production. I've had my free account for years, but don't use it much.

See:
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=10104.msg66729#msg66729

Here are the options for the conference:
https://www.tropo.com/docs/scripting/conference

If a person with a phone that doesn't support SIP needs to connect to the conference, you can add a phone number to your Tropo App. In the past I added a phone number to a Tropo app, but then deleted it a few months later.  This was a long time ago and don't know if phone numbers are still free for development accounts. An alternative is getting a free DID from IPComms and pointing it at your Tropo app.

http://www.ipcomms.net/freedid

drgeoff

See http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=12412.msg79019#msg79019 where the OP is asking how to use 2 GV accounts on an OBi phone to have a 4 way call.

wpsb

Thanks. I don't need a conference room. I just need a way to dial out to a freeconference number from my google voice number.

Also I don't see a reply on that 4 way call.

SteveInWA

Quote from: wpsb on February 09, 2017, 01:20:19 PM
Thanks. I don't need a conference room. I just need a way to dial out to a freeconference number from my google voice number.

Also I don't see a reply on that 4 way call.

I just explained how you can call freeconference numbers from Google Voice.  Add some calling credit to your account.  It's one cent per minute.  Big deal.