Google Voice Australia
Google Voice is currently available in the United States only, but being a determined fellow I managed to obtain a number and activate the service on my HTC Magic Android phone.
Google Voice gives you one number for all your phones — a number that is tied to you, not to a device or a location. Google Voice seeks to simplify the way phones are used, making using voicemail as easy as email.
Google Voice works with mobile phones, desk phones, work phones, and VoIP lines. There’s nothing to download, upload, or install, and you don’t have to make or take calls using a computer.
Google Voice will let you define which phones ring, based on who’s calling. It also makes transcripts of voicemail messages.
I like the feature whereby calls can be recorded as well.
So how did I get it?
First of all download Invisible Browsing software. It’s free for three days. I’ve already uninstalled the program.
It enables you to use an American proxy server to give your browser a US IP address.
Second, register at Sipgate for a free account to gain a United States phone number. You need this for Google Voice verification.
Sipgate itself looks very interesting. “Sipgate One” is a fully-functional phone service. It replaces an existing line or adds a second line at no cost. It comes with a free phone number, voicemail and fax capabilities.
My Sipgate number is (707) 356-0946. The area code is from California and includes such places as Napa, Sebastopol, Vallejo, Benicia, Fairfield, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Fort Bragg, Crescent City, Eureka, Clearlake, Vacaville and Ukiah.
I don’t know how to pronounce Ukiah, but it sounds like a nice place. In 1996 it was voted the sixth best American town to live in.
Equipped with a Sipgate number and an invitation to join Google Voice, click on the invitation link while using Invisible Browser set to an American proxy server and follow the prompts.
You will also need the Sipgate desktop software to receive the call.
My Google Voice number is (276) 546-7390. The area code is from Virginia, including such places as Bristol, which has the state border running down the middle of its main street and Galax, which is famous for the Old Fiddlers Convention.
Now that I have a Google Voice number I’ve got no idea what to do with it. Could be handy if I visit the States, I suppose.
Checking out call charges, I saw it only costs three cents a minute to dial Australia.
I rang my home number from Google Voice and it connected via the Sipgate software. Sound quality was okay, but there was a terrible delay.
Tags: communication, google, mobile
So, If I am traveling to Australia for 8 days in February 2010 … how will I use Google voice to answer calls from US?
Will it cost me tons to answer a Verizon phone there?
What about data costs?
Verizon phones don’t work in Australia, according to the company’s site. That’s probably because Verizon uses CDMA and most countries, including Australia, now use GSM.
However, you could buy an unlocked GSM phone in the United States, install Google Voice onto it and get a SIM card while in Australia. You should then be able to answer Google Voice calls at standard rates.
I?ve been looking around for articles similar to this but never found one that actually was valuable such as this. Glad I found this place!
Thanks for this. My only issue came when I tried to sign up with Sipgate. It required a mobile number to send the invitation code to. All the numbers were for USA based mobile operators. How did you overcome this? Cheers.
Good question Glen. I must have missed a step and I’m struggling now to recall. I’m pretty sure I used my Gizmo number (http://gizmo5.com/).
Gizmo isn’t accepting new registrations. Please email me if you want to try mine, or perhaps look online for a similar service.
Isn’t this against the terms and conditions?
I can’t wait till they make google voice Australia – I hope they do x-x
I don’t think Google will be worried about a small number of individuals jumping through hoops and subscribing to a service that has limitations in their country.
I can’t see how it breaches the terms of service. But Google has the right to disconnect anyone.
So far I’ve used Google Voice to receive one message and send a few SMS. I made one test call to Australia from my mobile at a price similar to Skype, but the line was scratchy.
Hi, I’d like to know how to get an American number for registering at sipgate to use Google Voice. Any info would be great! Cheers!
I love Google Voice. Their SMS feature in truth got me into it. I can send off free text messages to Bangladesh, India, and USA. It saves me good money on my texting plan from Verizon Wireless because I can use that to send now. I think Google always does a wonderful job of giving users what they require and need. I have found in the future they are mixing Voice with the Android. Plus they purchased a new VoIP company which they will mix with the other two to give some outstanding features. I need to get myself an Android now haha.
I’m developing a patent in telecomunnications that involves voice recognitioning.
How do I get in touch with Google’s team?