Free phone calls from your Gmail account

Taking directly on Skype, Google yesterday announced its Internet Telephony plan of making phone calls right from our Gmail accounts. Free Internet calling till now was only limited to same services (like Gtalk to Gtalk or Skype to Skype) and mostly from Computers, but with this new Google voice feature, you can call Phone numbers (Landline or Mobile) from your Gmail account using your computer’s Microphone.

Note that free calling is currently limited to phone numbers in the United States and Canada. It is expected that this free calling will continue at least till the end of this year. If you are making calls to other country Phone numbers (again, landline or Mobile), Google has a very cheap rates too.

One Caveat

This Voice call option is currently only available to US Based Gmail accounts, but should roll out to other country Gmail accounts soon.

Until then, if you have someone in the United States who calls you (in a different country) frequently, advice them to use Gmail when ever possible to cut their bills.

Calls rates to Indian phone numbers from US based Gmail accounts is currently charged at just 6 cents (don’t try to convert into Rupees, it is people in the United States with currency as Dollar calling people in India), which is much less than what US carriers offer.