The Pros and Cons of Broadband Internet Phone Service

Most people don't know that they already have everything they need to start saving money using internet telephony, or VoIP. All you have to have is a regular telephone and high-speed internet access. That's it! If you have both of those, you are ready to start saving loads of money on local and long distance phone calls. It is inevitable that VOIP will replace traditional telephone service at some...

Continue Reading

Is Skype Taking Over VoIP In North America??

Michael Lemm

If the news from broadband management company Sandvine is any indication...the answer is yes. At least for residential anyway. Calls using Skype account for nearly half of the VOIP minutes used (46.2%) and about 40% of the VOIP bandwidth used in North America, according to an analysis done by Sandvine. That puts Skype usage ahead of Vonage, Cablevision, and other popular branded residential VOIP offerings. In fact, Sandvine says Skype users account for 35.8% of individual VOIP callers on North American networks.

Now again....look deeper. That's residential users......not business. Skype can't deliver the capability, capacity, and reliability businesses require. Plus residential Skype users are tied to a PC and headset arrangement. Businesses balk at that restriction. So Skype is still a nice alternative for the regular Joe....for now.

Skype is all about getting users hooked on the free part and then charging for additional services like SkypeOut and video conferencing. Also....Skype says it themselves, they are not a replacement for your home telephone -- they are an ancillary communication service.

Skype's master plan is to eventually begin licensing the Skype software to handset manufacturers around the world. So while Skype may be a threat to VOIP companies and wireline carriers now, it could evolve into a threat for mobile service providers too. Hmmmmm......the future looks to be very interesting.

About the author:
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications http://ld.net/mscprez and http://DS3-Bandwidth.com ....delivering choices to both residential and business consumers worldwide for voice and data broadband services. Michael also authors BroadBand Nation http://BroadBand-Nation.blogspot.com where you're always welcome to to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, and ramblings for the masses.


Communicating with WiFi

Many people seem to think that WiFi technology is reserved purely for wireless broadband internet access, but in actual fact, it has been put to many other purposes as well. For example, WiFi phones are built to allow for wireless roaming within a limited area (e. g. a home or office). This useful technology standard has also been used in conjunction with VoIP telephony in the production of wireless VoIP phones . Another use of WiFi is in the handheld computing market. WiFi PDAs are becoming more and more common, and can sync with computers and other devices easily, and without the inconvenience...

Continue Reading

Google

Google Joins the Internet Phone Revolution.

Google Joins the Internet Phone Revolution. Its not so long ago that the idea of free phone calls over the Internet would have been thought an impossibility, but as any knowledgeable user will tell you they are now commonplace. Skype the pioneer and market leader has 51 million users and a great, easy to use software package that allows your computer to make Internet phone calls between subscribers. All you need is a reasonable computer, preferably a broadband connection but it will work over a dial up connection, and a microphone, then as long as the person you want to contact is online and...

Continue Reading