SkypeOut Rates to India: Why so high?

You asked the same question on the 6th, didn't you like the answers?

Sorry, I thought I was posting on a different newsgroup :) I did like the answers, I just did not get a conclusive answer on how VoIP calling is being done to India (PC to PSTN, that is), and whether VoIP traffic is all the way to India or terminates outside of India's borders.

Does the internet terminate outside the borders?

No, the internet does not terminate outside the borders :))) I am specifically asking a call originating over the internet (PC) and terminating on a PSTN number in India. How is that done, 'cause I don't know if there are IP to PSTN bridges at many CO's in India.

Ask some of the VoiP providers if they have calls to India. Why would you care where the bridge was located?

No, but there are numerous countries, e.g. India, where it is illegal for anyone except the monopoly PTT to provide international or even intranational voice transport. In such cases, the typical result is that other telcos land in a neighboring country and pay the PTT at normal PSTN rates. In other cases, e.g. most of Africa, the VOIP provider connects to the local GSM network and changes locations frequently enough to not get caught by the PTT.

The only reason I care where the IP/PSTN gateway is connected (that was my original question) is because PC to PSTN rates to India are still in the $0.12 to $ 0.15 per minute range from most providers, while rates to a lot of countries have dipped below $0.05. I was just wondering why it is the way it is, since I call India almost seven times a week to talk to my parents.

Apu

Thanks for the reply Stephen! That is what I was hearing, and the reason why PC to PSTN rates to India are not coming down.

Apu