It’s true that many people would like to know whether it is possible to call 0344 numbers for free. The short answer is: NO, there are no 0344 numbers which you could call without paying. However, we can offer you a work-around, which will allow you to find the answer to the question: ‘are 0344 numbers free?”
To answer this question we need to look at the services on offer and how they work. So let’s start with a few basics: A standard telephone line has two connections: an outgoing connection (a line) and an incoming one (called a socket). The outgoing connection can be used for making calls, the incoming one just allows you to listen to what’s going on around your phone.
Uses Internet Telephony
Nowadays it is possible to use internet-telephony via the socket of a telephone line (internet telephony means that instead of having an analogue connection to other phones, you can talk over an IP network). Of course this requires some measures, like incoming call-routing (which way an incoming phone call gets routed to your computer) and quite a few other things.
To get this working you need something called VoIP (Voice over IP). Not to be confused with professional voice-over services. This is the technology that allows having calls via the internet. To be able to use it you may either buy your own VoIP adapter (hardware) or sign up to a service which provides the service via an application. There are plenty of providers out there, we list some of them here:
SIP:
If you decide to look for an adapter make sure it’s SIP compatible and does not require any additional software (other adapters like e.g. Skype – not listed any longer as they are not free anymore – do require additional software like Skype, which is also not free).
Another thing you should consider when signing up for an internet-telephony provider is to check whether it’s possible to get your phone number via the service. If you would be able to get a UK landline, that would be a possibility to have calls without charge, wouldn’t it?
Now let’s get back to the question of our article: ‘are 0344 numbers free?’ If you buy a VoIP adapter or choose a provider that gives you internet telephony via an app, then yes, you can have 0344 numbers for free. Often providers give out free phone numbers. If you decide to be a customer of ours then we give out free 0344 numbers at signup, you can use those as long as you want and whenever you like.
If your only option is to get VoIP via an app, I’m afraid there aren’t any 0344 numbers without charge anymore, if there ever were any. You will have to pay for VoIP services, which is why you are asking if they are free in the first place.
Are 0344 Numbers Free?’ With An App
The cheapest way to get your hands on a UK landline phone number is probably to use one of the many apps in Google’s Play store or Apple’s Appstore. If you do that, then it will be a normal UK landline number with a 0344 prefix.
If you choose one of our services at Lycamobile.co.uk, we offer free internet telephony via an app from Apple’s Appstore or Google Play store, which is exactly the same thing as using VoIP via an app.
When using internet telephony via an app, it is quite common that calls are billed by the minute rather than by the second. This means that if you would make a call lasting one minute and four seconds your provider would only bill you for 1 minute of talk time. If you were calling at night/weekends with our Lycamobile Pay as You Go SIM Card, there is no charge for outgoing calls made between 11pm and 7am!
Are 0344 Numbers Free? With A VoIP Adapter
If you would like to have an actual telephone number, which can be reached on your landline or mobile device, then getting a VoIP (internet telephony) adapter is your best option.
Unfortunately, if you want to get it for free, i.e. with a 0344 number then there are no longer any options that would allow for this. Sadly almost all providers do offer service via an app – which means you can’t use a 0344 number anymore (even though some still offer it).
If you already have a VoIP adapter and want to get an 0344 number, just buy your Lycamobile SIM Card and activate it. You will get a UK landline number with only the cost of the SIM card (e.g. £1) which allows free night-time calling between 11pm and 7am.
Are 0344 Numbers Free? With Lycamobile’s Bundle Feature
There is another way to get your hands on an 0344 number for your VoIP adapter, it is called the ‘Bundle Feature’. If you activate this feature, every time you top-up £10 or more you will double that amount as credit.
Final Words
If you want to know about are 0344 numbers free? Then I hope you have found all the information you were looking for in this article. If not, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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