Though I could send text-based chat messages to my Skype-using friend in Belgrade over AT&T’s 3G network, I needed to connect the phone to a Wi-Fi network to make a call. The application for the iPhone and iPod Touch most closely resembles Skype’s familiar desktop program. And while many people gather around the PC to talk to far-flung friends and family, new apps and services can replicate that experience (and that savings) on cellphones. One of the largest providers of the service, Skype, was founded in 2003 and has more than half a billion user accounts.

The Internet has been used to make calls for some time. What my parents did not realize was that they could have nearly eliminated those charges if they had set up their (in this case) iPhone and BlackBerry to take advantage of mobile Internet calling services: That $1.29-a-minute charge would have gone down to a much more reasonable 2.4 cents a minute (or nothing at all if they were on a Wi-Fi network). If you do not, the charge goes up to $1.29 a minute. AT&T charges 99 cents a minute to use your phone in Italy (rates vary by country), and that is if you pay for the carrier’s international calling plan. Racking up exorbitant mobile charges is easy to do if you are not careful about using your cellphone internationally. Recently, my parents returned from Italy with a few bottles of Chianti and $750 in AT&T calling charges.

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