For the past three weeks, a new phone service has allowed customers to make pricey international calls at a domestic rate.

Futurephone, based in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., has created national buzz with this seemingly unprecedented move.

According to the company Web site, its goal is to show people “there are better ways to call internationally than paying high rates at home, using a low-quality PC connection or buying a calling card with hidden fees, one-time charges and long PIN numbers to remember.”

Although the company uses the word “free” often, to fully benefit from the offer a person must have a long distance calling plan.

For those with unlimited or nationwide long distance plans with their cell phone or local service provider, the company said it will be free, just like making a call in the United States.

If you don’t have free nationwide long distance, however, the call will cost the price of calling the carrier number – cheaper than international rates but still not free.

There is no special equipment required to start; just a landline or cell phone is needed. By simply dialing the number provided, a user has access to more than 50 different countries, with some recently added to the master list.

But although the rest of the nation may be stuck paying domestic long distance fees, users in Iowa have an added bonus – the number needed to dial is based here, making it even more appealing for Iowa residents.

“I think that it’s a great idea. I know that international calls are really pricey, so with the company offering this it gives me an incentive to make calls overseas that I normally wouldn’t make,” said Dan Gates, senior in animal ecology.

According to Futurephone, there is no catch.

It doesn’t require any information from the caller and claims it wants you to use the services and tell your friends about it. Other services, according to the Web site, are possible in the future.

As Futurephone continues to operate on a radically different business model, some wonder how it turns a profit.

“It’s free and people like free. They’ll listen to a 10-second commercial if they can make a free call,” said Tom Doolin, a principal in Futurephone, in an ABC news report. “In the middle of next year you might see something like that.”

Despite having to listen to a short advertisement before each call, students are still embracing the new service.

“I think the company’s strategy is a good way to get their name out there and it will make people familiar with the company. When they do offer these future services people would be more likely to use them,” said Marc Emmert, junior in art and design. “But for right now I can definitely see myself making international calls.”