ConnerVT: Have you used those cards?
Every day for the past 2+ years. As I posted earlier, we average 45 min/day. Some days (holidays, special occasions) it can go closer to 2 hours/day.
I have used some flavor of the Betamax company (Voipcheap.uk.co, Voipbuster, Voipstunt) for the majority of it. I have VoIP hardware here at home, just to make it seamless for my wife (she dials "#", then 74822------ to call Tver, Russia). But I have used softphone from both home and my laptop on the road, calling local access numbers on my cell phone without needing a PIN, and even used the web site call back feature to call my work wireless phone (no outside dialing from work, only incoming).
Sound quality is better than almost all the calling cards I ever used (as most calling cards buy their access from Betamax wholesale). Rarely I have difficulty making a call. If I do, I usually can make it through 15 minutes later.
Another company, here in the US, is Future-nine.com where the rates are only slightly higher. But they have a choice of routing, where you can pay slightly more for a (sometimes) better line. They're a small, new start up, but the guy who runs it seems to be a good egg.
Also connerVT my $2 an hour is for internet cafe skype to skype.
That's great, if that is the only access you got. Is that on top of the cafe's hourly rate? I know I paid (at least) that much just for Internet access in Russia. Most people call either a home or mobile phone when they need to call.