If you live in the U.S.A., and have a broadband internet connection (cable, DSL, shared WiFi, etc.), you can now make free phone calls (internet required)!

For years, we’ve been able to call others for free over Yahoo Messenger, Skype, or others, but this relies on the other person also having that program.

Outgoing calls

There is now a way you can make outgoing calls for free, at least through 2011. Google Talk, which with the Video and voice plug-in, may be activated on the left navigation pane of Gmail (“Call phone” link) allows you to make free outgoing phone calls for at least 2012, to landlines or cell phones.

Receiving calls

Even with a subscription to Skype, which does allow dirt cheap outgoing calls to landlines and cellphones, you still don’t have a phone number for people to dial, so they have to have Skype too to call you. Google Voice provides a solution. So far, Google Voice gives you a free phone number, from which you can receive voicemails and text messages (SMS) and return the call or even answer the call over Google Talk.

Google Voice is easy to use with an existing cell phone, so that one could even use a cheap prepaid phone, with Google Voice calls ringing through to it. Prepaid cell phone like Tracfone can be kept active for as little as $6.66/month. The prepaid phone can just be used as an audio notification of an incoming call or text, while you call or text them back over Google Talk/Google Voice.

The relief the internet brings from predatory monopolies by big traditional phone companies like Verizon is a wonderful thing. Phone/voice options will only get better as business competes over the internet landscape.