iCTel cellphone software has been RELEASED!

26 July 2008

I’m quite excited to try out the much anticipated iCTel voice-over-IP cellphone software that has now been released in South Africa which allows cheap or free calls to other members and normal phones.

I’m still quite interested to see how I can save and even make a whole lot of extra money simply by using and referring a telecom system in SA.

Now with the SMS registration fixed someone doesn’t even need a computer to install it! iCTel cellphone software can simply be downloaded to your phone (thousands of phones are compatible)

You still have to register to download the ictel software

How to install it on your phone:
Visit wap.ictel.co.za on your Mobile / cellphone

Read my post further down to setup your Vodacom, MTN, cellC or Virgin Mobile 3G settings to allow you to easily download icTel software after registration directly to your phone.

Download ictel directly from your phone: visit wap.ictel.co.za

All registered iCTel members can now visit wap.ictel.co.za and download the software really easily DIRECTLY from your phone. No Computer required. Whohoo!

It also seems to work on thousands of phones.

You can purchase icTel airtime which allows Internet phone calls from your phone at really good rates I have found.

Additionally icTel has also launched additional services which will definitely cut your phone bill in half!

Briefly here are some of the developments:

The call back service is structured for members to save money on communication using any phone

You call to a local cell phone number and punch in your international destination of 52 countries to call without the need to buy airtime by iCTel (pay only the cell phone cost)

You can now call from any phone to international destinations by calling with your free minutes. Call from Telkom or cellphone to a local landline and pay only for your discounted international part of the call.

iCAirtime can be used on all the products iCCallBack, iCCallVia and iCCoIP.
You need iCAirtime before you can make calls through iCTel unless you are calling to other iCTel members using your iCCoIP software and they too are using iCCoIP software.

Your subscription of R2.60 is deducted from your iCAirtime daily so that you do not need to pay other accounts.

NOTE: There is no fee during free period (May 2008 to end of August 2008) which could probably be extended after that.

Heres the link where you can join iCTel

If you have a WiFi enabled cellphone you could call for FREE wherever you have access to a wireless network.

icTel Mobile / Cellphone version available soon (New and improved)

May 2008

The Desktop icTel Softphone is still running fine (so you can still make ridiculously cheap calls to landlines and mobile phones), but icTel has temporarily disabled the downloading of their mobile phone version of the icTel / fring software until they have sorted out some issues with the customised Fring download.

Looking forward to the new software being released.

Signup for free to get updated when the new mobile software is released.

You can still use the Softphone version to call landlines and mobile phones over the internet for cheap cheap..

Refer to my blog entry Softphone downloaded and tested on 16th May 2008

Hope they fix this quickly.We know they are working on a simple download via SMS method… but its still in the works

O.K — SO what to do then ?

This is not a solution but it should keep some of you busy for the time being. Note that you will have to remove fring from your phone again when icTel has enabled the download of icTel mobile software again.

Step 1: Go and register with www.ictel.co.za/11405

(you can use my referral ID:11045 )

Step 2: Download the non-ictel customised version of fring from www.fring.com

Step 3: Changed the settings under SIP to reflect sip.voipstream.co.za with your icTel username etc…

Related posts:
Youtube video on icTel
icTel Mobile version currently unavailable
icTel Desktop Softphone screenshots
icTel compatible with X-lite
icTel is flirting with Telecom Market – Make Money as a referral

Register for free

iCTel Support Helpdesk details

Screenshots of iCTel Support Centre (available to registered ictel members )

Most users probably won’t need this as iCTel have updated their F.A.Q and User guide which actually would have answered both of my support tickets

Join iCTel and start saving 70% of mobile phone calls and have the opportunity to earn some extra income.

Visit www.ictel.co.za/42965 to register for free.

(this way you will join my network and benefit frommy technical expertise)

Related posts:	iCTel Support Helpdesk information
	iCTel Mobile version currently unavailable
	icTel Desktop Softphone screenshots
	icTel compatible with X-lite
	icTel is flirting with Telecom Market – Make Money as a referral
	Youtube video on icTel

Firewall settings for iCTel

I’ve seen a few issues with running the iCTel Desktop client inside corporate networks.

The iCTel desktop software (not the mobile version which doesn’t suffer from this) needs to authenticate to a database which port might be blocked if you try to run it at your work.

Your network admin would be able to check if this is the case:

Port 3306 (mySQL) has to be open for communication.

To be honest, I prefer to use X-lite configured with iCTel’s settings which will work in almost all corporate networks:

You can follow my setup instructions to get iCTel running using X-lite.

Have fun!

Fun with iCTel and free telephone calls

I tried something Playing with the iCTel service (which is another benefit above Skype and the like since you can’t change Skype’s settings as much)

If you don’t have many friends who have joined iCTel yet, but you want to test the service for yourself you can do it for free as I did today.

You can even go one further and call YOURSELF for free.

Below is a screenshot of X-lite on the left (logged in as the DEMO user) calling my iCTel Voice-over-IP account logged in on iCTel Softphone on the right.

Obviously this is about as useful as… well not that useful, other than showing how it looks when you receive a incoming call on iCTel on your computer.

Will put some screenshots of the mobile phone version as soon as iCTel releases their newly branded version.

It also shows the complete paradigm shift and what is possible when it comes to Voice over IP and ACN (Alternative Communication Networks).

Now with iCTel sharing its profits with the users who use this service and tell their friends / family about its benefits, life is definitely getting better.

iCTel Instant Messaging Screenshots

As you might be aware:

The iCTel service when fully up and running will provide Internet like communication on your mobile phone to friends or colleagues on Skype, MSN, Yahoo, GoogleChat and ofcourse iCTel itself.

Here’s a few screenshots of the Instant Messaging using:

iCText on your computer:

iCTel Softphone on your computer:

Fring (non iCTel branded version as iCTel version temp unavailable for download)

(can’t find my screenshot… will put it up another time)

X-Lite (this is not affiliated with iCTel in any means and can use any SIP provider)

Although you will be able to call iCTel members without any problem, If you do decide to use X-lite you will only be able to instant message with other iCTel mmbers who are ALSO using X-lite… CounterPath (the developers of X-lite decided not to use standard instant messaging…eisch)

My Advise ->

• For Instant messaging use iCText … with all your iCTel contacts / Skype, MSN, Yahoo, etc etc etc
• For iCTel VOIP calling from your PC / laptop / Apple Mac (if your’e lucky enough to own one) use X-Lite
• For your Mobile phone: Use the iCTel mobile software (version of award winning software called Fring pre-configured with iCTel server settings) which iCTel will release soon for download on your mobile phone when out and about to save money (SMS’s are too slow and expensive once you are used to instant messaging).

Have fun. As you can see there are amazing benefits to using the iCTel service, which will be fully operational before the end of 2008, not to mention the fact that they share their profits with the users

If you have questions ask the iCTel tech support after registering

icTel compatible with X-lite from CounterPath

May 2008

icTel numbers are compatible with X-lite Softphone

NOTE: This guide is not needed if you download the icTel software as it will already have the correct details setup for you.

The benefit of ictel being compatible and standards based it that it allow you more options of software to use:

As you can see below it is quite easy to configure:

If you are already registered you can download the software and use a test account to test it out.

You will need a ictel number to make calls to mobile phone networks and Telkom / other landlines.

It is advised to get a number similar to one that you already know..like your mobile number, with a 27 in front…

Related posts:

Early May Youtube video on icTel
22 May 2008 icTel Mobile version currently unavailable
16 May 2008 iCTel Desktop Softphone
icTel is flirting with Telecom Market – Make Money as a referral

Register with iCtel for free.

M-Web Broadband Talk is limiting?

M-Web Broadband Talk is a similar service to iCTel but it does not allow you to use it over your mobile phone from what I can see, and you also need to buy additional hardware.

Have anyone else actually used MWeb Broadband Talk, as it sounds like it is also limited to MWeb subscribers only…

http://www.mweb.co.za/productsservices/Portals/0/pdf/vas_broadbandtalk.pdf

One good thing is that they refer their customers to download X-lite from Counterpath (this software is compatible with iCTel as well)

It looks like a better idea just to sign up for iCTel for free by visiting: www.ictel.co.za/42965 and enjoy the benefits when the service comes into full swing.

iCTel Desktop Softphone downloaded and Tested

May 2008

Let me show you how to get icTel running on your PC and Mobile Phone

If you don’t know yet icTel is now up and running and pre-launch customers can now get themselves a number and start calling the world…or thats the theory at least…

Today I downloaded the PC version of the icTel Softphone and icText.

Quite impressed actually. Screenshot of software on your PC

It comes pre-configured with the icTel login server details and the Voice-over-IP settings

All you have to do is login with the DEMO account or your purchased 270 number… and call any other icTel member for free, if you have some airtime you purchased from icTel you can call landlines for a fraction of the usual cost.

icText

The icText is a customization of a product called pidgen which I;’ve used for ages.

You can download it from the main icTel website or from http://www.ictel.co.za/42965

Best multi-account chat application around.

I will make another blog entry some time on how to customise this with al lyour different accounts, Yahoo, Skype, GoogleChat, .Mac if you’re lucky enough to have a Apple computer etc.

I also changed my Fring details on my phone (as I have had Fring installed for quite some time, before icTel partnered with them)

The voip details are quite easy and available on request.

The easiest way is to just download the icTel version of Fring with everything already setup for you.

My posts:
Youtube video on icTel
icTel Mobile version currently unavailable
iCTel Desktop Softphone screenshots
icTel compatible with X-lite
icTel is flirting with Telecom Market – Make Money as a referral

Register with icTel for free