Skype service returns after weekend of 'frustrating' outages
Published: Sunday, August 19, 2007
Users of Skype- an Internet program that is used by more than 200 million people worldwide to make long-distant phone calls for cheap - breathed a sigh of relief after the telephony company announced on its website that its service had gone back to normal Sunday.
The Internet telephone service had experienced technical difficulties since Friday, as users were not able to sign in to their accounts. Some people and businesses, including thousands of Canadians, use the service as their exclusive telephone provider.
"Take a deep breath. Skype is back to normal," reassured a representative on the company's blog this morning.
"On Monday, we'll provide a more detailed explanation of what happened. Until then, we'd like to apologize and thank you. Precisely in that order."
Skype also expressed regret over the problems, saying "we know how difficult and frustrating the past two days have been."
Skype, which is free to download online, has gained popularity for its cheap rates for long-distance calls, and often free service, which connects users with other computers and landlines across the world in over 25 countries.
The service is also used for instant messaging and video conferencing, among other things.