What's your best VOIP App for calling/texting?

[Strong Eagle]

Yeah, no local number for others calling you, but you can get a local number for dialling out without the need for an internet connection.

The incoming number isn't that helpful here. Its main use is in countries where there are drastic differences between calling a landline vs a mobile number. When it comes to Singapore, it happens to be one of few counties where it makes no difference in price.

That's not correct. The primary reason that you would want a local Singapore number that others can call is that they (Singapore residents) have a local number to call while you can receive that call, via Skype, on your computer, or smartphone, anywhere in the world.

Get it? It allows people to make local calls to you regardless of where you are. You don't need to pay roaming charges while in KL or Bangkok, for example. Your local number rings on your PC.

That's the whole point of an inward Skype number... but Singapore won't let them offer the service. Pfingo does have the service and if your are OK with a phone number beginning with '3', it works fine.

[aster]

I see your point. This would definitely make roaming easier if you could forward the call to Skype or even a local number at your given location.

I just checked O2, a UK network that can provide you with local numbers abroad so that others can call you without paying for international calls, and even they do not offer local numbers for Singapore.

Will definitely give PFingo a look.

[Strong Eagle]

I see your point. This would definitely make roaming easier if you could forward the call to Skype or even a local number at your given location.

I just checked O2, a UK network that can provide you with local numbers abroad so that others can call you without paying for international calls, and even they do not offer local numbers for Singapore.

Will definitely give PFingo a look.

When I lived in Singapore, I kept a Houston phone number on Skype. Friends could dial that number without paying for long distance charges and it would ring my Skype app on my phone in Singapore... or anywhere.

At one time I spent half the week in Singapore, the other half in KL. I rented a couple of VOIP numbers, one in Singapore, one in KL so that when I switched SIM's in my phone, I also forwarded to the other country VOIP phone. Meant that my Singapore and KL phone numbers always worked and cheaper than the horrid roaming charges incurred using a Singapore SIM in Malaysia.

[aster]

And likewise roaming charges for foreign SIM numbers in Singapore are dreadful.

But then the telecoms market here isn't a competitive one but rather a closed circle of companies. So everything from prices to the quality of services is not at the level it should be or actually would be if true competition actually existed.

[Strong Eagle]

And likewise roaming charges for foreign SIM numbers in Singapore are dreadful.

But then the telecoms market here isn't a competitive one but rather a closed circle of companies. So everything from prices to the quality of services is not at the level it should be or actually would be if true competition actually existed.

Believe it or not, it is better than in the US... AT&T and Verizon control the market. Example: get a "free" phone on a 2 year contract and pay X dollars per month. Bring your own phone, get exactly the same text, talk, and data, and you still pay X dollars per month.

[aster]

At one time I spent half the week in Singapore, the other half in KL. I rented a couple of VOIP numbers, one in Singapore, one in KL so that when I switched SIM's in my phone, I also forwarded to the other country VOIP phone. Meant that my Singapore and KL phone numbers always worked and cheaper than the horrid roaming charges incurred using a Singapore SIM in Malaysia.

So basically I get a local number from Pfingo and then forward my Singapore cell calls to that other local number, which in turn will be forwarded to my computer/Skype/etc. whichever country I'm in?

[Strong Eagle]

At one time I spent half the week in Singapore, the other half in KL. I rented a couple of VOIP numbers, one in Singapore, one in KL so that when I switched SIM's in my phone, I also forwarded to the other country VOIP phone. Meant that my Singapore and KL phone numbers always worked and cheaper than the horrid roaming charges incurred using a Singapore SIM in Malaysia.

So basically I get a local number from Pfingo and then forward my Singapore cell calls to that other local number, which in turn will be forwarded to my computer/Skype/etc. whichever country I'm in?

That is correct. http://www.pfingo.com/home/features.jsp#callforwarding