Dear phone company

In the days before cell phones and voice over IP (VoIP) things were likely good for the local phone company, there weren't many options. If one wanted to make a call, they had to subscribe to the only service available. In case you haven't noticed, things have changed.

Dear phone company,

I have recently discovered that your services are now obsolete to me. I watched pay phones increase prices and then simply disappear due to the advent of the cell phone. It is just so much more convenient to connect using a hand held device then to search for a stationary phone and hope I have correct change.

I also found a home phone completely unnecessary because all my friends and family realized if they want to reach me, call my cell. When I woke up to the fact that the only people who called my home phone were telemarketers and solicitors, I turned the service off.

A few years later, I began working in an international context and did not like the extravagant costs of international phone calls, nor the roaming and other charges added to my cell bill. I did some research and found a wonderful service called Skype, which allows me free calls anywhere in the world utilizing the internet. I can even do video calls, which is a feature not available in land lines or cell phones. Granted, there were some limitations because I had to be on a computer and so did the person I wanted to contact, that limitation is quickly changing.

In our effort to move overseas, I've done some additional research on International calling options and discovered that for $30 per year Skype provides a US phone number my friends and family can call and reach me anywhere in the world (provided internet access is available) through VoIP. It even has caller ID and voicemail features. When I get a voicemail, it sends me an email or SMS text. For an additional $30 per year I can call anywhere in the world to someone's cell or home phone. So, for $60 a year Skype provides worldwide calling access! This is not a monthly fee, it is a one-time fee, with no hidden costs. I had to ask myself, why isn't everyone doing this? My guess is because they don't know about it. Skype is now making handheld devices that look like cell phones to send and receive calls utilizing wi-fi.

Dear phone company, I believe your days are numbered because customers like me want convenience and global mobility.

Thank you, Skype, for the amazing options you provide. As a girl who is about to move to the other side of the world, I don't feel so disconnected from the one's I love.