Just to clarify the actuality of using a phone service in your home since it looks like you are getting some conflicting information and there is a confusion between local and internet telephony.

 

If you obtain local phone service for local calling, ...no, you don't need multiple phone outlets in your home.  Just like you pointed out you can get a multi-handset cordless phone system (which communicate with one main base station) and the only requirement is that each handset base unit be plugged into a power outlet and the one main base station be plugged into the phone outlet.  If you want to have multiple handsets that are not part of one system as I just mentioned, then yes you would need Qtel to activate multple phone outlets throughout your home which as previous noted by the other poster, it would be difficult to get them to do that...plus if you do they will charge you and extra monthly fee for it....so it makes sense just to get the multi-handset system and use one outlet.

 

As far as internet telephony such as skype which is an internet phone service similar to vonage...so you only need as a basic requirement an internet connection (best option DSL, especially if want to use one of the more advanced skype handsets).  Yes, you would need to be tethered to your computer unless you purchase a wireless skype handset.  Those come in three flavors...one has a base unit that plugs into your computer via usb (so the computer must be on to use), an other has a base station that plugs directly into a switch port on your home DSL router (computer does NOT need to be on), and the third uses an 802.11 wireless signal to connect directly to your DSL router as long as the router has a built-in wireless access point (again, computer does NOT need to be on)...or you can add a separate wireless access point and plug it into the switchport of the DSL router.  Keep in mind that it is cheaper to call local numbers here in Qatar using a local service rather than internet telephony.

 

I hope this helps and clarifies the conflicting information you have received.