Work arounds - dial in numbers too expensive but attendees only have a 2G phone

[Mary1010]

Hello

So I wanted some people to join a meeting but they can't use internet. In the UK it was free to dial in to a meeting using ordinary minutes on a phone plan.

Anyway, I digress. I live in Africa now. The current option is to put my phone next to the computer speaker and they ring me and listen on an ordinary phone call. Not ideal, but it works. Just wanted to ask on here in case there are any other options, like somehow plugging the computer sound direct to the phone.

Thanks! 

[Mary1010 · Accepted solution]

So its seems unlikely to find something with dial-in numbers for Africa. So maybe I can work out how to stream the audio from the laptop - maybe via bluetooth- to a phone as the microphone feed. Is that possible? It feels like it might be. I can connect up to 5 people on one phone call, so that would work well. 

[storyhub]

As an audio and broadcast engineer I can tell you that computer audio can be very complicated. There are a number of other options depending on whether they are listen only or need two way which include using whatsapp, google voice, streaming audio using Zeno (dial in audio streaming), or using an audio bridge like FCC HD are just some of the many choices. Bridging the phone directly to a computer is also possible.  None of these are intuitive to setup.

If this works please click accept as a solution.

[Mary1010]

Thank you. Your reply mentions a lot of options I had not found. However, I am running into the same issue, that Zeno and FCC HD don't have dial in numbers for Africa. 

Bridging a phone directly to the computer sounds interesting tho. I will research it. I can add up to 5 numbers onto an ordinary telephone call here, so maybe that will be a bit better than just leaving a phone by a speaker. 

Many thanks

[Mary1010]

Would 

Microsoft Phone Link App Let me do that?

[storyhub · Accepted solution]

It is not clear what country you are in and what country the participants are in so I can only make guesses. There are Zoom dial-in numbers for some african countries. see https://zoom.us/zoomconference when you are logged in to the Zoom web portal. Microsoft phone link app will link the phone to the PC. Linking the phone audio with the audio being used by Zoom is another complexity. Possible but not intuitive and varies for your specific system which may need additional hardware. Zeno Media ASSIGNS a direct dial phone number when you purchase the CTL service. FCCHD does have dial in numbers for certain African countries. As I stated before all are possible and non are intutitive or spelled out how to online.

[Mary1010]

Thanks. There is only a toll number at over $1/minute. It looks like leaving a phone by a speaker is the best way for now. Thanks for your comments. FCCHD doesnt have my country, only zoom. Anyway, it might change. Thanks for the reply.

[Mary1010 · Accepted solution]

So its seems unlikely to find something with dial-in numbers for Africa. So maybe I can work out how to stream the audio from the laptop - maybe via bluetooth- to a phone as the microphone feed. Is that possible? It feels like it might be. I can connect up to 5 people on one phone call, so that would work well.