Internet enabled landlines for Skype etc

[Dyrne]

I’m trying to sort out communications for an elderly relative to keep in touch with family abroad. Up till now we’ve been using a tablet with Skype, Facebook etc quite well but she’s getting a bit slower and finds it harder to work the tablet so it’s forcing family to end up calling on the landline which costs £££.

I’m wondering if there’s such a thing as a landline that is set up for Skype/WhatsApp etc calling? Then elderly relative can pick up phone as normal and still keep in contact when they’re struggling with their tablet; without paying £££ for international phone calls.

I’ve done some research but things seem more geared for business VoIP etc and it seems like that’s too much for what we need.

What about a mobile?

One of the more basic smart phones. Delete all apps except Skype or whatever you prefer to use. Then she’ll only have to accept or decline ?

Vonage might suit? £15 per month including calls to 60 countries. UK mobiles would be 10p/min :-(

www.vonageforhome.co.uk/home/call-plans/

Be careful about porting her home phone number. If you port the number it automatically cancels the phone and broadband, which is likely to cause serious grief.

@glasshalfsomething thanks for the suggestion. We’ve tried smartphones and she doesn’t get on well with them - she’s 90 so I have to be really careful introducing new technology as she gets a bit confused between machines. If there were some sort of attachment which would allow you to “pick up” a normal looking phone which answers the Skype call that would be ideal!

@CruelAndUnusualParenting thanks for the tip - some sort of international call package would at least limit the cost if we can’t find anything suitable.

I don't think I made it clear that the Vonage solution is a box that you plug a phone into. You might have seen that, if you looked further than the page I linked?

www.vonageforhome.co.uk/home/how-vonage-works/

Of course that would mean paying for both Vonage and her broadband, so it might not be cheaper than she would pay otherwise?

www.skype.com/en/features/call-phones-and-mobiles/

It has to be done from the caller but any landline can be called by skype.