I have been in USA for 4+ years now and for the last 2 years skype has been a major boon for me. Since my parents and me both have skype on our PC we can talk for a long time everyday. I have VOIP boxes installed on each day which helps to connect to skype via regular cordless phones. This means we speak to each other like a normal phone call. The voice quality is great and it helps be be in touch with daily matters on a day to day basis. Now all my relatives and friends r on skype and I am back in touch with everyone.