Miglu–Make VoIP calls from all countries even if blocked by your ISP [Review & Giveaway]

UPDATE (July 14, 2011): Miglu has shut down its calling services.

VoIP, as a technology, has revolutionized communications. It has allowed us to be in touch with our near and dear ones without spending a fortune by allowing us to make cheap or even free international phone calls. Given these benefits, it is unfortunate to see several countries blocking VoIP or not allowing complete access to VoIP (for selfish reasons) and thus denying the benefits of VoIP to its citizens. We have already covered how to bypass these restrictions using proxy server and access VoIP or using services such as RingoMax. However, none of them are very convenient nor are they 100% reliable. Today, we review a VoIP startup that promises to make VoIP available across all countries – Miglu. Read on to find out how you can get free talk time on Miglu.

How does Miglu work?

Basically, Miglu engine initiates the calls to both the numbers and bridges the calls. So, if you (A) want to talk to your friend (B), Miglu will first call you and then you will be connected with your friend. There are two primary ways to use the service:

1. Web Call: In this case, you login to your Miglu account and enter both the numbers that need to be connected. Miglu will then connect the calls.

2. Booth Call: Instead of providing regular local access numbers, which are limited to a few countries, Miglu uses a clever trick to provide access number throughout the world.

Miglu currently provides only one access number (Phone Booth) +34911390179. Please note that even though this is an international number, you will not be charged international call charges by your phone company as your call is not completed. Instead, when you call the Miglu phone booth from the number that you have registered, Miglu engine will recognize your caller ID and call you right back and then you can enter the destination number. The following video will make things clear:

It does not matter where you are located, as long as you can initiate international calls from your phone, you can access the Miglu booth feature and thus make cheap VoIP calls from any country. Miglu seems to be delivering on its promises to provides VoIP services across the globe. Whether you are in countries where VoIP is blocked completely (e.g., UAE) or in countries where you do not have local access numbers for easy access to VoIP (e.g., India), you can use Miglu booth.

If you are in India, you can also use SMS call back through Mighlu SMS number +919220092200.

How much does Miglu cost?

Since Miglu makes two calls, the total cost is the cost of calls to both the numbers. To give you an idea, here are the charges for some of the popular destinations:

So, if you want to make a call from USA to India, the charges will be 0.012 + 0.025 = 0.037 USD/min.

The total call charges may be slightly higher, but you need to keep in mind that Miglu provides access to VoIP services where no other provider is available. So, for our readers in Middle East or Africa who have trouble accessing other VoIP services, this is a great option.

I have been using Miglu for quite some time now and am quite happy with the service. The call quality is good and the booth feature works as advertised. I was not charged anything for the “missed calls” that I made to the Miglu Phone booth.

Having said that, there are a few things that Miglu can improve on. Entering the phone number every time is no fun. There should be a way to avoid entering the number manually, some sort of address book would help. Also, it would be useful to have booth numbers in a few more countries. Finally, would love to see an option where people who do not want to use the call back service can save on calling cost.

Miglu Giveaway

You can open an account here and get $1 in free credits to try out Miglu service. Given their call charges, this should be enough to get a good feel of Miglu. However, if you are feeling lucky, here’s your chance to get a lot more. Folks at Miglu, have been kind to offer calling credits to 13 lucky readers.

What’s at stake?

1. 10 randomly selected readers will get $5 calling credits
2. 3 randomly selected readers will get $10 calling credits.

To be eligible, just Retweet this post.

You can increase your chances by sharing this post on your Facebook profile so that your friends can also have a chance to win (this is not a mandatory step).

Share

Finally, just comment and let me know your Facebook name, Twitter handle, and why you deserve to win this. Remember, even if you do not win anything, you still get $1 in free calling credits, so there is nothing to loose.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to comment below. The winners will be drawn (randomly) on Diwali, November 5, 2010, so hurry up!!

Disclaimer: This article is purely educational. Please consult your local regulations for specific, localized situations.

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