The Long Road

01/25/2005 Archived Entry: "Voice over IP"

I want to tell you all about Skype! For those who don't know, skype is an instant messaging client that allows for voice over IP calls. Basically, MSN Messenger with the added functionality of crystal clear, real-time, voice conversations using your pc mic and speakers. It is damn cool.

With Skype, you can call up anyone who is using their client and converse to them for free no matter where they are in the world! That's right, free long distance calls! FREE!! Skype costs you nothing to download, install, sign up, and use. The ONLY downside is that calls to real phones (instead of others using Skype) actually costs money, about 1 cent a minute. To anywhere in the world! There is no reason not to use this. NONE!

Without an ground line this term, Skype will come in really handy if I want to actually talk to people while not wanting to burn a hole in my wallet with cellphone bills. There is no way that traditional phone carriers will be able to compete with Voice Over IP if this kind of thing really takes off, it is better in every way, except that you don't have to hold on to a phone...if you're into that kind of thing.

Anyways, everyone should give it a try, I highly recommend a looksee. And if you don't like it, I'll...I dunno...have a nice long msn conversation with you or something.

Replies: 10 comments

but most voip providers (or potential providers) are looking at providing a handset with their voip services to make it more phone like

rogers announced yesterday that they'll be launching their voip services this spring ... and i'm sure bell won't be too far behind (i know they've been working on theirs ... )

is skype echoey at all though? that's the major concern i've heard from ppl using voip ... and the complaint of have from voip calls made to me

i was reading an economist article about voip ... and one analyst was estimating that traditional phone revenues will be down 25% by 2010 b/c of voip ... but more shockingly, mobile phone revenues could dive 80%! (vonage has been working with wi-max to create a portable handset ... a wireless network is much cheaper to operate than a 3g one)

and you've gotta believe the big telcos aren't ignoring voip ... sure they don't like it ... the margins are way lower than on traditional phone lines ... but if they don't cannibalize their own market, someone else will.

Posted by melpie @ 01/25/2005 10:26 AM EST

Ideally, VoIP allows you to talk handset to handset without involving computers. I've heard Vonage is coming to Canada, which might not be a bad choice for future reference.

I've heard the marketing spiel on Skype's website. Their whole push is to the ability to use audio even through NAT, which Messenger is not able to do. The way I understand it, the whole network is highly proprietary so they will be able to make business changes and there would be nothing you can do about it...

Posted by Will @ 01/25/2005 10:41 AM EST

With regard to usage of Skype, I find the quality's really good (provided your mic doesn't insert stupid noises like mine did til I trashed it & bought a new one). The only reason you might hear echo is if your sound is too loud and gets into your mic.. I haven't had it happen on my end, but my bf's said he's heard echo before.

Posted by Arshwana @ 01/25/2005 04:19 PM EST

Bell is indeed working on VOIP (I know the people implementing it).

No echo =P

and...movibe VOIP will be cool.

Posted by Rayne @ 01/25/2005 04:47 PM EST

Aside from LONG distance calls, I don't see this replacing conventional chatting (i.e. instant messaging, e-mail). A verbal conversation requires considerably more attention on behalf of both parties involved, which is why people don't call each other as much anymore (when they have the option to communicate via other means). A simple phone call to tell someone one thing could drain minutes or hours of time. Time we no longer "seem" to have.

Posted by dAN @ 01/25/2005 05:28 PM EST

that is true ... email and instant messaging gives you more control over who and when you want to communicate with ... phones aren't quite as flexible that way

and rayne, when i talk to my friend (who works for bell, in the new products area) on her voip phone, there's tons o' echoes ... but i haven't talked to her on that line for a couple months ...s o maybe it's better now

videotron (quebec) launched their phone over cable (i.e. voip) service yesterday ... they started testing it late last year. i guess ppl liked the service.

the little guys will probably have a tough time of it ... they can't offer the bundles like the big guys ... plus they have no control over the broadband service ... another disadvantage.

Posted by melpie @ 01/26/2005 10:47 AM EST

The one problem with voip is the lack of a 911 service. Part of the cost of a local phone goes to paying for 911. In fact, I think there's legislation on the books that dictates the amount of downtime allowed per year on the phone system, and the phone company can be fined if they exceed that. Also, there are requirements to run phone lines into rural and other non-profitable areas to make sure that anyone can have a phone. With voip, since it's not regulated, you may not be able to get a phone if it would be too expensive to run high-speed internet access into your community. Also, one of the beneifts to voip is that you can send/receive calls from anywhere using the same number, but this is also a downside. With a normal landline phone, the ambulance can always find you, as long as you're on the line for more than, like, 30 seconds, or something. Even cell phones can be triangulated within a certain degree of accurancy if you're on the line long enough. An IP address has no geographic significance, though, so you better be conscious and well-oriented when you have a heart attack if your only phone is voip.

Ian

Posted by Ian @ 01/26/2005 03:35 PM EST

I learnt a term on my co-op work term: "carrier grade". Which means that 99.999% of the time, whatever it is that's "carrier grade" has to be up and running.

Posted by Rayne @ 01/26/2005 04:01 PM EST

roggers seems to think that they will have the 5 9's (i.e. carrier grade) .. the voip for rogers will be run through its own dedicated line which will have priority over any other broadband connections

voip may work well for canada since we are rather well connected (#1 in the world according to ispsos ried) ... also 80% of canadians do have access to broadband connections ... and the federal government is working on making that even higher.

the technology isn't fully perfected yet .. but it's getting closer ... the market is supposed to get interesting in the next 6 months ... as the market shifts from the early adopters stage to early ... first movers stage? (i can't remember the exact term .. melpie's sleepy ... please excuse her)

Posted by melpie @ 01/27/2005 12:12 AM EST

oh Mel, stop fighting and just get Skype so I can hear that heartbreakingly beautiful voice of yours!

Posted by Rayne @ 01/29/2005 03:24 AM EST