Gmail is rolling out a new service that will let you call phones in the US and Canada for free right from your email.

International calls will be as low as $.02/per minute.

Gmail users will begin to start seeing the service pop up under the chat list over the next few days.

Domestic calls will be free “for at least the rest of the year.” Which is to say, for the next four months.

Why would anyone need this? The Gmail blog says, “We’ve been testing this feature internally and have found it to be useful in a lot of situations, ranging from making a quick call to a restaurant to placing a call when you’re in an area with bad reception.”

No matter what you think of the service, any downward pressure on rates is good news for consumers.

Call phones from Gmail [The Official Gmail Blog]

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