GOOD NEWS! Easy Incoming RELAY calls on Sidekick, Hiptop and BlackBerry!

M

Mark Rejhon

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2003
Messages
355
Reaction score
10
Hi,

MCI now has a new service called "My IP Relay":
http://www.ip-relay.com/number_info.htm

1. You apply for a FREE phone number.
2. In a few days MCI gives you your VERY OWN PERSONAL PHONE NUMBER
3. You give other people the phone number.
4. When people call YOUR PERSONAL NUMBER, the operator starts an AOL chat with you
5. The phone conversation is relayed over AOL Instant Messenger Chat!

The service is free for the deaf!
Unique phone number just for you! No 800 number needed!
It's just like having your own personal relay operator!
Works on ANY wireless device that has AOL Instant Messaging Chat!

It also acts like an answering machine too!
Incoming voice caller message is relayed as an EMAIL MESSAGE to you if you don't answer!

MCI Is Giving Out Free Personal Phone Numbers To Deaf Users: More Info

(Note: I will still keep using the faster telnet method, AOL is too slow, but having an INCOMING PERSONAL NUMBER with your own relay operator is awfully convenient -- no complex instructions, no 800 number! It's a nice extra to have. I'll use AOL only for incoming phone calls.)
 
Last edited:
that wouldn't work for me, I need a hawaii based and this doesn't have it here ... dang
 
Wow, might want to look into it :D.

Edit:Well, that's a shame because you have to be logged on to AIM to receive incoming calls or get voicemail. On Yahoo Messenger or ICQ, anyone can leave you a message without being logged on. Am I mistaken? I am not online 24/7. My mom will never receive calls or voicemails that way. I don't have devices that I carry with me like a beeper or anything. It says that some fee may apply depending on the area including for termination. Check with that if you need to.

Edit again: This is from their website. You should read everything.

http://www.ip-relay.com/myiprelay_faq.htm

How do I get a message if someone calls and I am not online?
Email notification is scheduled to be active in early December, 2004. At that time users will be able to leave a message that will go to your email address.

It's gonna be available soon, but does that mean only through your AOL e-mail? I have AIM for chatting, but I don't use AOL as my service for Internet. This isn't clear....why do people pick the worst thing sometimes. *sigh*

Does the person calling me get charged a fee?
Depending on where the voice caller is calling from and the number you are assigned, there may be a long distance toll charge.
 
Last edited:
Lots relay companies giving out good freebies. Its time to take advantage of this generous marketing pamperedness.

Richard
 
TiaraPrincess,

You do NOT need to be logged on.
The voicemail is sent by EMAIL if you are not logged on.

You can use your pager's email address!
Or hotmail. Or gmail. Or whatever. Any email address works!
So you don't need to be logged onto AIM!

1. Log onto AIM: Live incoming relay phone calls
2. Logged off AIM: Answering machine mode (relay operator sends you an email message containing your transcribed "voicemail")
 
Last edited:
javapride,

It's free. Get some phone number anyway. You can get a phone number from a different USA city, you can do that! Get a phone number in the same city as your family. You probably have a friend or family outside of Hawaii. It will just be a local phone call to them, no charge for YOU OR THEM!

Or if you have money -- You could also forward your home phone number to this relay phone number using your telephone's "Call Forwarding" feature (normally used by hearing callers) -- that means you have to pay long distance charges everytime someone calls you, but then it's a local call to everybody else in Hawaii who calls you.
 
Last edited:
Email notification is actually working right now (today).

There is no costs, and no fees. The phone number is free for deaf users. The information about the fees refer to your wireless device -- not the relay service. And most deafies use an Unlimited wireless plan so no extra fees for extra chatting on Sidekick.
 
Last edited:
Guys, never mind. My bad. You need to register, and that's when you provide your own e-mail address. :Oops:

Hey, I swear that if this stuff changes my life, then I am gonna tell them how thankful I am. You all should do this so that they know how it has helped us and continue to give us the great service.

It's so awesome that it is free because our equipments are really expensive, and we spend more sometimes.
 
Last edited:
I have just signed up for the services. I got a message that they'd send me all the info I need to get my account activated, etc.

Mark Rejhon - Is it possible to have more than one under one account? I'd like to obtain a Tennessee area code for my family and friends to contact me at no charge. I think it wouldn’t be fair to give them one that’d cost them few cents or even dollars just to leave a message.
 
I hope they add more cities/numbers. I am in Binghamton, NY and the closest city option is Rochester (200 miles away). There are only 3 cities, Buffalo, Rochester,New York City. Big span of about 300 miles that they skipped.
 
Brian said:
I have just signed up for the services. I got a message that they'd send me all the info I need to get my account activated, etc.

Mark Rejhon - Is it possible to have more than one under one account? I'd like to obtain a Tennessee area code for my family and friends to contact me at no charge. I think it wouldn’t be fair to give them one that’d cost them few cents or even dollars just to leave a message.
Click to expand...
GOOD NEWS! They just sent me my personal phone number and it is all ready for hearing people to leave messages. Y'all should get it in just several hours or so instead of waiting for days! :)

I asked the Relay Operator if I could have more than one numbers under one account. She said yeah all I have to do is to sign up for another!
 
Me too. I got it, so it's not 7-10 days...maybe for some areas :dunno: I can't wait to see how this works! Now, I have to tell a few people to change my phone number to this. Yay for us :D. Make sure that you guys forward this to your deaf friends or people who know other friends.
 
I love the email "answering machine" feature. If I am logged off AIM, people can just leave a voice message and the relay operator will type an email message to my pager!
 
Last edited:
Mark Rejhon said:
I love the email "answering machine" feature. If I am logged off AIM, people can just leave a voice message and the relay operator will type an email message to my pager!
Click to expand...
Cool - I haven't started using mine just yet. Thanks goodness I don't have to log in on AIM for that! :)
 
You can even use this service even if you don't even have AIM at all. You only need an email address at the minimum to benefit from this service.
(Edit: You do need AIM to 'activate' the phone number for setup, though)

It'll just simply be permanently in "answering machine" mode. Basically, messages left by all incoming calls are relayed to you as a text email message.

Much cheaper than Dictomail or Phonewire because this service is provided for free. (I feel sorry for them, since I am considering cancelling my Dictomail phone number)
 
Last edited:
Which is why I'm puzzled, because how can AIM Relay discern between a national caller and an international caller? That means that as long as I have a local phone number and an email address, I can be anywhere in the WORLD and get free voice-to-text emails! That's not relay!

This doesn't make me happy -- international people can basically take advantage of a free U.S. government service paid by U.S. taxes. I could probably even rig up an 800 number or something to make it toll free for the person who wants to call me.
 
I'm usually logged into AIM, but if I am logged in but have an away message up and am not there, will it just go to the answering machine feature becuase I didn't answer?
 
mark i set mine up already so let's hope this works :) and im waiting on the e mail for the nbr :) thanks for the e mail to me :)
 
Back
Top