The VoIP Service Blog

The Skype outage explained, and public perception of VoIP services

2010-12-29T19:50:00.007-05:00

So last week as we exchanged holiday greetings, the most popular free calling service, Skype, became overloaded and inaccessible for nearly 24 hours. Although it was only a minor inconvenience for most of us, for others it is the primary way of making free international calls between family members. Others still rely on Skype for business communications, teleconferencing, and other critical uses.

To their credit, Skype's PR team was up front and honest about the downtime, making frequent status updates on their blog and via Twitter. They apologized and offered $1 credit to all users. They even detailed what went wrong and what they plan to do so it doesn't happen again.

How does this affect public perception of VoIP as we enter 2011? VoIP skeptics will undoubtedly point to this as an excuse to keep their distance from services like Vonage and Google Voice. However, even for the die-hard VoIP believers, it serves as an important lesson to always have backup forms of communication, including a second or third VoIP client, as well as land-lines and mobile phones.

Carriers testing Mobile VoIP on their networks

2009-08-18T07:32:00.002-05:00

Good news from GigaOM: mobile phone companies Verizon, Clearwire and Telefonica O2 (and hopefully others to follow soon) are beginning to roll out VoIP services over their networks. This is a clear break from their previous stance of overcharging for long distance phone calls, and seeing VoIP as a threat to their profits. This is not to say that they will allow Skype, Vonage or other 3rd party VoIP providers, but more likely that they would each implement their own branded in-house VoIP networks.

SIPdroid: True mobile VoIP calls from your Android phone

2009-06-11T19:28:00.009-05:00

Frustrated with a lack of real voice over IP services on your Android phone? Until now, the only VoIP apps for Android have used your standard calling minutes. That goes for Voxofon, Truphone, Skype, and iSkoot. (any others?) Now, when you download SIPdroid from the Android Market, you can finally make calls using your phone's WiFi connection. (And if you download the full version from the SIPdroid website, you can even make calls over 3G!)

To use SIPdroid, you must have an account with any SIP provider, like Gizmo5 for example.

Because SIPdroid was released by i-p-tel GmbH, and is currently in public beta testing, it works best when used in conjunction with i-p-tel's free service PBXes. Apparently, this is the route you must take if you use any of the popular Betamax services such as VoipBuster, VoipCheap, InternetCalls, VoipStunt, SIPdiscount and others.

The SIPdroid Wiki currently lacks instructions for newbies, but jashsu from the xda-developers forum has a detailed SIPdroid primer and Christophe from the SmartPhoneFrance Wiki has posted step-by-step instructions on making it work using PBXes.

Call quality was a bit quieter than standard calls, with a slight delay, but this will vary depending on your SIP provider. Overall it's very usable. A DID number is handy for receiving incoming calls.

Geek trick: call your own phone number from SIPdroid. Answer the incoming call and be amused as you listen to your voice echoing over and over!

Freebuzzer callback service from Voipax

2008-12-17T00:31:00.002-05:00

Today, I received a lengthy advertorial in my inbox about a VoIP service called Freebuzzer, offered by Voipax GmbH. I'll save you the fluff and quote just the relevant bit:

All you need to make free calls on your PC is your computer and your internet connection. Then start enjoying free international phone calls immediately by going to www.freebuzzer.com and entering both phone numbers. Freebuzzer will then call both parties and connect them totally free of charge.

Freebuzzer offers free phone calls to more than 40 countries in the world. The amount of calls is limited, but it's still a good way to make a quick call to your friends and family all over the world.

They aren't clear about the limitations, so try at your own risk. This will also use up incoming minutes, so it's not totally free if you get charged for those. Anyway, if you do check it out, be sure to leave a comment and let everyone know how satisfied you were with their service!

UPDATE: Seems calls are limited to 2 minutes each. Does anyone know if that's accurate? If so, that pretty much kills any appeal this service may have had.

Voxofon on the G1's Android OS

2008-12-12T00:13:00.002-05:00

Voxofon claims to be the first to offer VoIP on Google's new mobile operating system, Android. The app seems to integrate into the dialer, displaying an extra screen after you've chosen your contact:

- Call via Local Number
- Callback My Mobile
- Callback Other Phone
- Direct Call

The callback services are handy to avoid using your cellular minutes, but don't most G1 owners have unlimited talktime already?

Anyway, it's super cheap, from 1.3 cents per minute for international calls and you're not tethered to a PC. If you use Voxofon, be sure to leave a comment and let us know how their service ranks.

Here's a quick demo of Voxofon's Android VoIP app:

Nintendo DS hack for SIP VoIP service via WiFi

2007-09-14T08:24:00.000-05:00

This January, I began a list of VoIP services for the Nintendo DS, which we know contains a WiFi connection and a microphone headset.

At that time, none of the solutions included support for the popular open SIP protocol. Now, a French developer has released an early version of SvSIP, which lets you make phone calls using your homebrew-enabled DS and a SIP provider. He seems to be actively updating it, and we should see some new versions available soon on his website.

To complete the list, another French developer has been working on DSiP, a rival alpha VoIP client for the DS. The author seems to no longer have time to work on it, but promises to release a working version.

UPDATE 9/19/07: Watch the how-to video if you'd like to see SvSIP in action, courtesy of pjsip.org, the stack upon which SvSIP was ported from:

Jajah or Nonoh? Review the race to the bottom.

2007-08-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

Upstart VoIP service nonoh thinks it can save you more money than its predecessor, jajah. Both are phone-to-phone services, which means you just initiate the call on their website, and the service calls both parties and connects them to each other at lower rates than the regular phone companies. This comes in handy mostly for international calls, especially for those countries in which there is a telecom monopoly with outrageous long distance fees.

Bhagaban points out that the service was developed by Betamax, and that there are some amazing deals to certain countries.

For example, you can make free calls to China, Taiwan, and Thailand. Even South Korea and Turkey made the list of free destinations.

Vinay adds:

Nonoh bluntly says we offer better rates than Jajah and well they seriously do. Who on earth gives free calls to countries like Brazil, Japan and Malaysia? I have some countries which can't even dream to be in the free VOIP country list. NoNoh has simply cracked the market with this FREE VOIP calling service

Over at Computerwoche (German) they remind us that nonoh only allows 5 hours of talk time per week, and your credit expires after 120 days.

This 120 day credit expiration limit seems to be a trademark of Betamax, so that you will continue to pay $10 every four months in order to keep making free calls.

Full rates table at http://www.nonoh.net/en/rates.html

Have you tried it? What did you think?

International free calls with Skype on Mother's Day

2007-05-09T22:31:00.000-05:00

This Mother's Day, Skype will let you make that special phone call for free, even if she lives in China. That's right, but it's only if you make that free call from the U.S. or Canada. In fact, there's an entire list of restrictions:

4. Offer available to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age and older.
5. To qualify for this offer, you must have downloaded the Skype software and you must have a valid and active Skype user name and account. You will not be eligible for this offer if your Skype account is not in good standing.
10. Skype reserves the right to suspend, shorten or extend, change or cancel part of all of the offer including these terms at any time at its own discretion at any time without notifying you of such changes.

... and so on. So as long as you're an adult resident of North America with an active Skype account and you don't mind that Skype can change its terms at any time, then you can use the VoIP service to call your mother, or anybody else for that matter, absolutely free this Sunday May 13th.

Happy Mother's Day!

Raketu's sexy new look multi-messenger

2007-03-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

The last time I reviewed the VoIP multi-messenger upstart, Raketu, I gave my honest opinion that it wasn't quite ready for primetime, but that it held a lot of potential. Well look out now -- Raketu has relaunched their website with a whole new look!

Cartoonist John Kricfalusi of Ren & Stimpy fame has provided Raketu with the sexy flash animations that now drive its brand. The new website features George Liquor, Sody Pop, Bobby Bigloaf, and of course, Raketeena:

Raketu seems to have addressed all my previous complaints about the website interface. The new menu system really improves accessibility and makes its much easier to reach what you're looking for.

The program interface has undergone a few slight modifications too - now v1.021 - but still retains its tiny 3.4 MB installer package! A few bugs have been fixed since its initial release, although I still can't seem to send free SMS messages. That's probably just user error on my part though. Another thing I was having fun with is the built-in Caller ID spoofing (Tools > Options > rakIn/rakOut).

This is now my main program for making SIP calls and free international calls. Now that Skype's free trial is over, (I never really liked the way it hogged system resources anyway) Raketu has taken its place on my PC.

It's still free to dial out to 42 countries after a one-time purchase of $9.95 in credits. (I've used up all my credits except for a few cents, but I'm still making free calls. :-) Unlike some other services, the receiving party does not need to be registered with Raketu. There's a 1 hour limit per call, but then you can call right back. Of course, you wouldn't want to abuse their free service, would you?

They're also promoting their multi-messenger which still lets you chat with your Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ, Skype and Raketu contacts.

Guess what? Raketu is expanding like crazy! They've added online presence and they're currently working on VoIP-in, voicemail, ipTV and Video on Demand! If you're looking for a career, now would seem to be the time to get onboard the Raketu rocketship.

If you'd like to try it out, I'd appreciate if you use my affiliate link to sign up with Raketu. Thanks, and be sure to leave a comment and let me know how your experience turns out!

Second Talk brings Skype to Second Life

2007-01-24T13:21:00.000-05:00

VoIP has moved beyond reality into the realm of the virtual world we know as Second Life. Skype Journal announces:

Centric today announced Second Talk, an easy-to-use voice communication system for Second Life. Second Talk "headsets" automatically scan for other Second Talk users nearby, and offer instant voice chat for groups of up to 10 users through Skype, a popular Voice over IP communication platform.
...

While this isn't the first attempt at voice communication within SecondLife, it is probably the first that works with Skype. I know quite a few people who use Skype and SecondLife at the same time (myself included now and then), but not quite like this.

This sounds like it may just catch on among Second Lifers. You can pick up your portable virtual headsets here.

How VoIP can help your career

2007-01-22T22:43:00.000-05:00

Wanna be a hero at your company? Propose a switch to Voice over IP! VoIP has the potential to save costs, simplify tasks, and increase productivity. Read on for more of the info you need to sell your boss on a VoIP system at VoIP News.

Watch out though, because it could also get you fired. A corporate communication system is no game. If you buy into a flawed system, you would probably get singled out as the scapegoat. Don't let it happen. Be sure to fully research your proposal, starting with the guide and resources mentioned in the article.

Oh, and when you get that raise, don't forget who gave you the initial push ... ;-)

Nintendo DS hacks for free WiFi VoIP calls

2007-01-13T03:10:00.000-05:00

Since the Nintendo DS has a built-in microphone and a wireless Internet connection, what's to stop it from being used as a WiFi phone, or the DSphone, if you will?

I've scoured the 'net and found some projects currently underway that claim to do just that, albeit with limitations.

VoiceChatClient is a homebrew application that lets you freely call anyone who also has VoiceChatClient installed on their DS. This hack even adds extra value by transmitting what you write on the touch screen to the other person! VCC requires hacked firmware or some type of passthrough device. (source)

DSpeak has been developed by Nintendo themselves, but aside from a demo at E3 in 2005, nothing more has been heard about this program. DSpeak will reportedly allow in-game and out-of-game chat. And when you speak, an on-screen Mario or Wario avatar lip syncs along! (source)

HelloDS was released some time ago as a proof-of-concept hack, along with a promise of a future version of this homebrew software. Unfortunately, the update has not been forthcoming. The initial version is still available and requires the firmware hack or passthrough. (source)

Metroid Prime: Hunters is currently the most easily accessible option for chatting with your DS buddies. All it requires is the Metroid Prime: Hunters game and a WiFi connection. You might want the NDS VoIP headset too. For this VoIP solution, you just meet the person you want to speak with in the same pre-game lobby and talk. It also works post-game, but not during. (source)

Conclusion: Though this handheld gaming device is certainly capable of competing with other mobile WiFi phones, the current state of Nintendo DS VoIP affairs isn't very exciting. None of the above solutions include support for SIP or for dialing out. However, the demand seems to be out there, so the DS might get to see a true VoIP app yet.

UPDATE 9/14/07: SvSIP, a VoIP client using the open SIP protocol, is released for the DS.

Have you made calls on the Nintendo DS? I'd love to get your feedback in the comments section. Don't forget to subscribe to the feed to receive updates on this subject.

Does the iPhone measure up as the portable holy grail?

2007-01-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

Today, Steve Jobs announced the iPhone at MacWorld 2007. It was met with many cheers and jeers, probably even some leers. Still, there's no doubt it will raise the bar for future portable devices to come, now that manufacturers will have to refocus their efforts on coming up with the "iPhone-killer".

Some time back, I wrote a wish-list of features that I would like in the ideal ultimate gadget. The technical specs on Apple's website, while not quite matching up, come closer than a lot of devices I've seen. Here's the blow-by-blow comparison:

Handheld Holy Grail	Apple iPhone
4" screen with at least 1024x640 pixels Standardized video output for hooking up to a bigger screen Minimum of 3 megapixel camera	3.5" widescreen with 320x480 pixels at 160 dpi. However, the screenshots show webpages at full size rather than puny mobile phone versions. Video output not mentioned, though Steve did have one on his "special" iPhone at MacWorld. 2 megapixel camera
Should be able to handle graphics as well as a Nintendo DS Buttons should be in strategic places, like the Sony PSP	Gaming on the iPhone hasn't been mentioned as of yet, but it looks more than capable of great graphics. However, without buttons it may be less than ideal as a gaming device.
Office-like applications E-book readers E-mail client Web browser	I understand the iPhone will not have 3rd party application support, even though it will run OS X, so it may not be capable of running an office suite. That said, webpages on its built in Safari browser looks amazing on a 3.5" screen. For e-mail, Apple has partnered with Yahoo for free push-IMAP e-mail -- look out BlackBerry!
VoIP programs Instant messaging Cellular phone capability (if that's still needed by then)	Cingular will be the exclusive GSM carrier in the United States, but without 3rd party apps, VoIP and IM programs may be excluded.
Speech recognition and Text-to-Speech GPS maps, driving directions, and business search Fold-up or slide-in mini QWERTY keyboard Battery life lasting at least 24 hours when idle, 10 hours when using voice and low graphics activity, and 5 hours when gaming and watching videos At least 16GB flash memory USB and Firewire output USB input (maybe for one of those laptop lights, or just downloading files from a memory stick) Wireless (bluetooth or otherwise) interface for keyboard, headset, and other functions	No word on speech recognition, though OS X is certainly capable of it Apple has partnered with Google Maps and features click-to-call for businesses but doesn't mention GPS Soft keyboard only, with intuitive error reduction and correction Up to 5 hours battery Talk/Video/Browsing, and up to 16 hours for audio playback with no mention of standby battery life Initial choice of 4GB or 8GB flash memory Probable USB 2.0 output No USB input Bluetooth, WiFi

In that article, I had prefaced the list with this statement:

The operating system doesn't matter much, as long as it's open for some hacking around and creating new programs.

And so I was excited to hear Steve say that the iPhone would run OS X, which is built on Unix, only to be let down later when I read this Engadget article that said it would be locked to outside programming.

The real reason this is such an explosive announcement isn't just the new product itself, but the innovative user interface. The patented multi-touch screen makes navigation look almost effortless. It's just a scroll here, a tap there, or a "pinch" to zoom in on your photos, maps and websites.

The iPhone also has a proximity sensor that turns off the screen when you hold the cellphone up against your face or put it in your pocket, plus an accelerometer that automatically knows when to show the display in portrait and landscape mode.

Another first is the use of "visual voicemail", which shows you a list of voice mails with the callerID, and lets you choose the order in which to listen to them.

The Apple iPhone is expected to ship in June, pending FCC approval and a Cisco lawsuit for trademark infringement, with a price tag of $499 for the 4GB version and $599 for the 8GB version, when you sign a 2 year contract with Cingular of course.

Reader reviews Vonage and Voip.com

2006-12-21T16:29:00.000-05:00

Reader Kevin Deitrick wrote me to share his recent experience with Voip.com and how it contrasts to his previous VoIP service provider, Vonage:

I have used vonage for just over a yr and with 100% satisfaction I set up a virtual number and it was working in 48hrs the customer service was great I had a problem with the router well with one side of the phone hook up and there tech support walked me through troubleshooting it and switched it over in under 20 mins. I regret having to leave the company when I moved into an area that they did not cover. Unlimited usage real was unlimited my family lives in Michigan and my children call back there a lot I use aprox 3500 mins a month and with no complaints from vonage.

I switched to voip.com in june of this year and have had nothing but problems with there billing service and support. They billed me my normal monthly bill for 2 months then the next 2 months they billed me 50-40 plus my monthly bill and my bill is different every month. It took them over a month to setup my virtual numbers then because of my usage they threaten to switch my unlimited monthly usage to a small business and of course a month later they did. There prices are great but there only suggestions this is what I have been billed since June. There customer support is ok there respond times can be days sometimes sooner but not on average. I have lost many phone conversations while using there service even though my internet connection was still working good. When I inquired about the extra 90.00 a month charge they told me it was for the cost of setup and the router but now that I am going to cancel they still are requiring that I return the router or they will charge me for it again. I hope that you can warn you viewers of this policy of there’s before they make the mistake of following your advise as I did and tried this company and expecting the same service I got from vonage.

Kevin also included a list of his first seven monthly bills with Voip.com that ranged anywhere from $21.45 to $55.03 and he says he received no explanation as to why there was such a difference each month. In addition, there were four extra charges of $40, $50, $40 and $50 that all happened within the span of one month, which he contests as explained in his review.

I welcome any official response from a Voip.com representative, either by e-mail or through the comments section, that clarifies this dispute and/or gives the other side of the story. A smart VoIP provider knows that in order to thrive in this business, it has to please its customers, knowing that word of mouth works both ways. I'm sure this case can be settled in an amicable fashion for both parties and I hope that I will have a more pleasant follow-up to post soon.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in the above quote is a 3rd party review and not necessarily the view of The VoIP Service Blog, which is an affiliate of Voip.com.

Have you had an experience with a VoIP service that you'd like to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me at voip_telephony [at] yahoo [dot] com and I'll publish your review or directly link to the review on your website.

Two new VoIP services compared, contrasted

2006-12-15T03:14:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned both GrandCentral and TalkPlus on this blog the past. Both services give you an extra phone number and they both do some neat tricks with your voicemail, giving you more control over who gets to talk to you. Even their names are both compound words with a capital letter in the middle. So what separates the two? Good question, and The VoIP Girl has your answer:

GrandCentral: You need it if people have a hard time tracking you down. You find yourself playing telephone tag. You WANT to be found but heck, you're always bouncing between work, home, and on the road. It's also free.
TalkPlus: You need it if your mobile phone is your primary means of communication but the separation of work and play is important to you. You want people to know that you're calling from the office (the caller ID says this is a work-related call) even though you're calling from home or the beach in Maui. You are also concerned about personal privacy and want to make sure that your personal number is only available to the people you want to have it.

(via VoIP Watch)

Free SkypeOut in US and Canada to end soon

2006-12-14T14:30:00.000-05:00

Although Skype is ending its promotion of free SkypeOut calls to landlines in the US and Canada on December 31, 2006, they are offering a new promotion for 50% off the cost of unlimited calls between the US and Canada for one year. The typical price is $30 per year, but if you subscribe before January 31, 2007, you can get on the unlimited calls plan for only $14.95/yr and you'll get the following coupons:

$30 off Polycom Communicator speakerphone
$30 rebate on Netgear WiFi Phone for Skype
$10 off Motorola Wireless Internet Calling Kit
$10 off Motorola Talk and Tunes HT820 Bundle

It's interesting, albeit expected, that this promotion follows its free calling promo. Let's see if Skype is able to turn its users into paid subscribers and eventually make a profit for parent company, eBay.

New Skype phone cancels crosstalk

2006-12-14T13:38:00.000-05:00

Although many new phones now support WiFi, Ipevo has sacrificed wireless capability for improved audio quality on their Free-1 IP Phone for Skype. Buzz Me Baby has the full review:

Virtual phone lines may be the order of the day but a few developers are beginning to feel the pinch of competition. Guess that’s the reason Skype has tied up with a few manufacturers to float Skype compatible handsets in the market. Ipevo Free-1 USB phone is one such attempt.

The fancy-looking VoIP phone plugs into your Windows or Macintosh computer with its 8-foot USB cable and integrates into your Skype software for making Skype-Out and Skype-to-Skype calls.

The speaker and microphone have been optimized to work in full-duplex, reducing the crosstalk that occurs when both parties are speaking at the same time so you are less affected by echo and static. At $30, it's not a bad deal if you're an avid Skype user, but it would be even better if it worked with multiple VoIP services.

T-Mobile's WiFi VoIP service still being tested

2006-12-14T12:37:00.000-05:00

T-Mobile is ironing out the kinks in its HotSpot@Home service, which lets users with WiFi-enabled cellphones make calls on open WiFi networks, if available, and switches them over to the more expensive cellular network if they leave the range of the WiFi signal.

Today's New York Times continues its earlier intro to VoIP over WiFi phones with a new article that discusses reactions from early testers of the HotSpot@Home service from T-Mobile. To sum up the article, it says that it's a promising technology that isn't yet up to snuff:

Call quality was excellent on all Wi-Fi networks tested, including full-duplexing — better described as the Robert Altman effect — in which both parties are speaking at the same time but can hear each other clearly.
Roaming, however, was far from acceptable. The cellular-to-Wi-Fi handoffs worked most of the time without interruption to a call in progress. But most Wi-Fi-to-cell transitions caused a dropped call as the hot spot signal ebbed with distance.

The subjects in the article eventually canceled the service after the test period due to dropped calls, high battery usage and inconsistent WiFi connections. They haven't given up completely though, and would reconsider if the mixed cellular & VoIP service quality improves.

Simplify with GrandCentral VoIP Service

2006-12-03T21:02:00.000-05:00

It's well known that VoIP lets new companies offer neat features that just aren't available with your phone company. GrandCentral, for example, wants to give you a free phone number that you can use to organize your phone identities. It started as a voicemail service, but has grown to include some nifty options.

Basically, you can add any number of "real" phone numbers and when someone calls your GrandCentral number, all those phones will ring. Let's say you're at work and your phones ring. Rather than picking up your mobile phone and possibly incurring charges for incoming minutes (or draining the battery), you can just pick up the landline. Then if you actually do have to leave your cubicle, GrandCentral lets you seamlessly transfer the call to your cellphone. The calling party never has to know which phone you're talking on!

For those worried about their privacy, you get much more control over your call screening, even if you don't have CallerID. Any time you answer a GrandCentral call:

First, we'll tell you who's on the line ('Call from Ted Baker'). Then, we'll present you with:
1) accept it,
2) send it to voicemail,
3) ListenIn^TM on the voicemail, or
4) accept and record the call

You can also press 4 at any time during the call to start recording. With ListenIn^TM, you'll get to hear the person record the voicemail and decide if you want to take the call immediately. Through the web-based control panel, you can organize your contacts into groups and setup automatic behaviors and filters for each incoming phone number. You even get an e-mail address (yournumber@grandcentral.com) that forwards to your real e-mail, if you're so inclined.

This Screencast from Molly at Screeniac is a great "in-action" overview. Om Malik also writes to say that GrandCentral now has unlimited incoming calls, even on the basic free accounts. Lastly, the downside is that GrandCentral is still in beta testing and doesn't have phone numbers in all area codes yet. They are also currently unavailable outside the United States.

What has eBay done to Skype?

2006-11-29T20:47:00.000-05:00

First came the news that Skype's senior executives were fleeing the company as fast as they could. What did they anticipate? Now thanks to Phil Wolff and Om Malik, we have some details on the latest drama, a new round of Skype firings:

About 40 of the 516 people working at Skype worldwide are affected, 26 of those shifting roles or locations and 14 who are leaving or who have yet to find another job at Skype or another eBay company.

What's the rationale behind this decision? It must be part of eBay's strategy to make Skype profitable. The "out with the old, in with the new" purge continues with Skype doubling its staff as the pre-eBay executives go.

NY Times says challenges await WiFi phones

2006-11-27T17:05:00.000-05:00

Dropped calls, unreliable call quality, weak signals, battery draining, legal issues. To sum it up, the New York Times' Matt Richtel says that WiFi phones just aren't ready yet for primetime.

I find myself agreeing with him. Though I strongly support attempts to converge voice, data, video and other signals onto the same network, WiFi needs more development before it will be acceptable for the masses and not just early enthusiasts. A good metropolitan mesh WiFi network will have to solve all the problems mentioned in Richtel's article before mobile VoIP can have its day.

He brings up some good points too. Buildings or basements with low wireless coverage will benefit from VoIP over an internal WLAN, and what's more is that network administrators can control and track phone usage.

The controversy starts with the use of open access points to make your calls. I agree with the line of thinking that says, "if you don't want people using your open bandwidth, then just secure it." Still, there are valid points to be made for both sides of the argument. But with WiFi phones, it will definitely be less suspicious to be talking into a small device that resembles a cellphone than to be using a laptop to check your e-mails.

Verizon expands 3G services with BroadbandAccess

2006-11-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

Verizon's press release department must have been working overtime this past weekend in order to pump out all this news:

Tyler, Texas: Tyler Residents Can Now Enjoy High-Speed Wireless Internet, E-mail, Mobile Music and Gaming
Longview, Texas: Customers Can Now Get High-Speed Wireless Internet and E-mail Services, Download Video Clips and Songs to Handsets
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Surrounding Area: Customers Can Now Get High-Speed Wireless Internet and E-mail Services, and Download Video Clips and Songs to Handsets
Iraq: Verizon Business to Offer Free Calling During Holiday Season to U.S. Troops in Iraq

The first three articles all refer to Verizon's expansion of its EV-DO network to new markets, all seemingly launched on the same day. BroadbandAccess is the name of their high-speed wireless network, which boasts speeds of 400-700 kbps. Each press release mentions music, videos, games, Internet, and e-mail, but what is conspicuously absent is any mention of VoIP. After 3 Group partnered with Skype for 3G VoIP services, I had hoped that North American carriers would wise up and offer similar options. That doesn't seem to be the case just yet. Verizon continues to tie its subscribers to its own voice network, and although its voice quality may beat that offered by VoIP providers, it can't match the savings on international calls, which I will posit is what the mobile business user wants. It's about options. Let the users decide.

Verizon is also connecting families with their loved ones in Iraq for free over the holidays:

Verizon Business will provide the calls from Nov. 22 through 28 and
from Dec. 22 through Jan. 2. This is the fourth consecutive year that the
company is offering free holiday calls for military personnel in Iraq.
...
As a leading communications provider to the federal government, Verizon
Business has deployed to Iraq a state-of-the-art mobile communications
facility outfitted with phones to allow military personnel to make calls.
Verizon Business throughout the year makes technology, resources and
employee support available to military personnel and their families around
the world.

I hope Verizon's PR team can take a break today after all of yesterday's launches.

VoIP News Roundup for Nov. 19, 2006

2006-11-19T01:33:00.000-05:00

1. PhoneGnome Goes VoIP 2.0
Tons of upgrades since the last version. Now it has free membership and is free-to-call within the PhoneGnome member community. The hardware now becomes optional, and is being offered cheaper. There's no software required either, as all calls are initiated to your phone from your personal PG webpage, pretty much like how Jajah bridges two phones with VoIP. This could be something worth checking out. If PhoneGnome doesn't require a minimum amount of use to remain an active member, Jajah will lose its raison d'être unless it continues to innovate.

2. Google Maps gets Click-to-call
The much hyped click-to-call feature is here, and Google's footing the bill:

Here's how it works: Search for a business, like a hardware store, on Google Maps, and click the 'call' link next to its phone number. Then, enter your phone number and click 'Connect For free.' Google calls your phone number and automatically connects you to the hardware store.

Looks pretty neat, at least for all those non-Skype users. They can already get click-to-call installed with Skype 3.0.

3. X-Series Symbian Phones will use iSkoot
I mentioned the 3 Group and Skype announcement of the X-Series mobile broadband initiative, but the required Symbian phones aren't running Skype after all. Instead, Om Malik says they will run iSkoot, a 3rd pary application that is compatible with Skype:

You see what happened was that iSkoot, a Cambridge, MA.-based company cut a deal with 3g wireless service provider, 3, part of the Hutchison empire. As part of that deal, 3 would install iSkoot in some of its handsets including two Symbian based phones, the Nokia N73 and Sony Ericsson W950. iSkoot is not an official Skype product, and despite a tepid endorsement by Skype, and its capabilities, cannot be qualified as Skype for Symbian.

But since Skype is endorsing this with their logo, most users will never know the difference.

4. Canada deregulates VoIP services
Mark Evans has the Canadian perspective on this move that reverses a decision made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC):

So what does this decision mean? For one, incumbent carriers will be able to offer VoIP service at any price they want without having to seek approval regulatory approval. As a result, you can expect Bell Canada to become much more aggressive on pricing while ILECs such as Telus, Manitoba Tel and SaskTel will get into the VoIP market after sitting on the sideline until the regulatory uncertainty was resolved.

With lower prices though, the barrier to entry gets higher and startups with new ideas might not get off the ground. Pros and cons for both sides, but a decision has been made and we'll soon start seeing the effects.

VoIP Service Blog on Blue Box Podcast

2006-11-17T16:44:00.000-05:00

Thanks to both Dan and Jonathan over at The VoIP Security Podcast for the warm welcome. This is the first time The VoIP Service Blog has been mentioned in their podcast, with a reference to my article on the FTC and SPIT.

It was actually pointed out that the article's humorous title, "New FTC rule to put an end to SPIT" was misleading, and I do agree that regulations alone are insufficient to "put an end to" anything. Getting into the article, I wrote that the FTC was "introducing a new ruling that will make it illegal to make unsolicited prerecorded telemarketing calls" which was also inaccurate, seeing as there would still be certain cases where it would be okay to use automatic prerecordings:

the Commission proposes a new TSR amendment that would make explicit that the TSR prevents sellers and telemarketers from delivering a prerecorded message when a person answers a telemarketing call, except in the very limited circumstances permitted in the call abandonment safe harbor, and when a consumer has consented, in writing, to receive such calls.

Again, thanks to Dan and Jonathan for pointing out these details. They also discussed the inclusion of VoIP for the first time in the SANS Top-20 Internet Security Attack Targets, plus an old VoIP security report that's suddenly making news, and other VoIP security news updates.

Skype's new mobile VoIP service with 3G

2006-11-16T20:11:00.000-05:00

Skype and 3 Group have announced the launch of X-Series, a collaborative effort to provide mobile broadband at flat rates, a key requirement for mobile VoIP and other services.

3 Group will reveal new pricing plans for data usage on their mobile networks. It seems that X-Series will only work with the Nokia N73 and Sony Ericsson W950i, and if you buy the phone directly from 3 Group you'll get Skype, Slingbox, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Orb and web browsing software preinstalled.

3 Group's 3G network is available across Europe, plus Australia and Hong Kong. The idea of reasonably priced unlimited mobile broadband is certain to be well received, and hopefully North American carriers will follow suit by improving their data networks and promoting VoIP services and other applications.