Skype is offering 6 months free landline calls for its UK subscribers to UK landlines. Provided you buy a minimum of £10 Skype Credit.

So the deal isn't totally free, however it's a decent deal if you are currently using Skype credit for international calls, sending low-cost SMS messages, and a new ringtone to personalise your Skype..

The deal is "unlimited calls to UK landlines for 6 months at £1.66 per month, which is a bargin if you call a lot of people.

How long will the promotion last?

You can claim your free calls until 31st December 2006. This means that if you are a UK user and you buy Skype Credit before 31st December, you can make free calls to UK landlines for six months starting from the activation date of your free calls.

Skype is gambling that you'll become hooked as millions of others have on calling all your friends on their old-fashioned telephones and continue to pay for the service after your free trial expires.