Free calls from Pakistan to the UK and other countries - even without VoIP

It seems that Tpad is getting serious about their toll free inbound numbers. Their forum tells that they have set up their fist toll free number in Pakistan.

Tpad's idea is the following:

We are making toll free because we realise that families and friends in poorer countries cant afford to make international calls. So we are trialing a service that lets you foot the bill for both parties. We expect you to forward calls to your landline / mobile so thats where we make a bit of money.

Well, I whish them luck that they really „make a bit of money“. As I told before, this service can also be used for something really different: Free phone calls from Pakistan to the UK and other 40 countries, whithout even having an internet connection.

I am waiting for the first Pakistani to set up his Tpad account as incoming number in a hosted PBX (which you can get for free at PBXes.com) and offer free calls to the UK and other countries. He would just have to program a calltrough rule in the PBX. Then he could charge his fellow Pakistanis a modest price for these international phone calls, since they cost him nothing. He doesn't even need a computer or internet connection since the calltrough does all for him. An old landline phone would be enough.

For the outbound leg of the calltrough he could use a VoIP carrier whose identity I won't reveal here to not cause them trouble. But it's a nice, reliable company which offers free calls to more than 40 countries. Whithout even having to buy 120 freedays for 10 Euros, as he would have to do at Voipstunt. He just needs to set up the accounts and can start the free calls. From his phone booth in Pakistan he would dial the following:

Tpad's toll free inbound number + BREAK + Tpad Account number + BREAK + PBX PIN Number + BREAK + Number to call

I admit that it seems complicated to dial three other numbers before the phone number. But he could program a redial for these first numbers, which are always the same. After the PBX PIN his clients would hear the sound of a free phone line. Too bad that VoIP prices to Pakistanian numbers are still quite high. Because local calls could really be a big business with this scheme.

What do we learn from that?

If you use the SIP standard right then nearly all international calls can be local calls, even if you don't have an internet connection. Thanks to the local break in numbers of Tpad and Sipbroker. I recommend everyone, who travels a lot and suffers from high roaming costs, to use these numbers.

And as we saw today: these calls can soon be totally free.

UPDATE:

Here you find a comprehensive explication how to install it step by step: Placing VoIP Calls from any Old Regular PSTN Phone (VoIP CallThru).