There are many low-cost ways to keep in touch with the USA, Skype is just one. Skype is a popular messenger/VOIP service that has been in operation since 2003, that was recently purchased by Microsoft and has absorbed the Microsoft Live Messenger accounts. The Skype application allows people to communicate for free by text chat, voice and video calls between Skype accounts, and also offers a service for making or receiving landline calls with a subscription.