Cheap Cell Phone Service with Magic Jack VoIP
The Magic Jack is a device that allows people to get very cheap phone service directly from their computer’s high speed or broadband internet connection with the help of a small box that plugs into the USB port of the computer. The company is now introducing something similar that will allow users to get cheap cell phone service directly from their homes. The cell phone version of this essentially takes, without permission from the companies, the frequencies used by the major cell phone companies and lets the users make calls from their phones for free. The device will only cost $40 and will give the user free calls to the United States and Canada for a year. It is easy to see the appeal of it, especially since most cell phone bills are at least $40 a month.
One of the problems with the cell phone version of the Magic Jack is that the device will only work with (most) AT&T and T-Mobile phones, but not Verizon Wireless or Sprint phones. The device, which is plugged into the computer like the regular version, places the calls the user makes through the Internet, (the device will not work if the computer it is plugged into does not have an Internet connection) rather than through the actual cell phone company’s cellular tower, allowing the user to make calls without having minutes from their plan used.
International calls are also available with the cell phone version, and it works basically the same way, except fees are charged through Magic Jack and not through the user’s normal cell phone provider. Fees charged for international rates are also expected to be much cheaper as opposed to if you were to make those same calls through a regular cell phone provider. It is not clear yet whether people living in other countries can use the new cell phone version to call the US and vice versa for free.
The device is like having a mini cell phone tower and will supposedly cover a three thousand foot range. It is expected to be available for purchase by May of 2010. The major cell phone carriers and the FCC are still looking into whether what this product does is actually legal or not, since it is giving users for free what the companies pay billions of dollars for. If it is decided that it is in fact legal, this will probably be a huge hit and completely change the way people make calls.
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I DONT HAVE INTERNET SO HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THE MAGIC JACK??
May 8th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Can I take a majic jack in europe and use that to call usa?
May 11th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Onorina – Yes, you can take your magic jack with you to Europe and use it to call back to the United States. You will not be able to use it to call other places in Europe.
Danielle – You won’t be able to use any voip phone if you are not able to have a high speed internet connection.