VoIP for Deployed Soldiers?

rickbassham asks: "With VoIP really catching on these days, I decided to look into it for keeping deployed soldiers in touch with family and friends. I am currently a soldier in Iraq, and have the ability to get satellite-based internet, thanks to a few of the locals. While individually it is prohibitively expensive, a group of soldiers can come together to purchase a decent-to-high-speed internet connection. One of my plans is to link other soldiers to Vonage or another VoIP provider, so they will be able to keep in touch. Understanding the latency issues with VoIP via satellite (not to mention the other disadvantages), what upload speed does Slashdot recommend as a minimum for a QoS enabled connection for about 15-20 soldiers? The same for a non-QoS connection? What recommendations do you have for a good VoIP provider?"

Comments

Thank you for your service

[Anonymous Coward]

It's off the topic, but I just wanted to thank you for your service. God Bless and may you come home safely and quickly.

citizen first, soldier second

[Anonymous Coward]

remember the golden rule, nimrod.

That's why we're not crazy like the VC, MD, etc.

You've been watching too much Apocalypse Now. Time to give up the Cheetos.

Re:Don't know where this guy is stationed but...

[Rei]

You misread (I suppose I could have been clearer).

82% of Sunnis want the US out now (i.e., >80%).
69% of Shiites want the US out now (i.e., almost 70%).
53% of Sunnis believe that the ongoing attacks are a legitimate source of resistance.

Source:
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm? ID=957

"Zogby isn't the most accurate polling organization, to put it mildly."

And I'm sure you'll provide a statistically sound reference to back this up. Right? Surely you're not going to levy charges of bias against a survey you've never even looked at without backing them up... or are you?

> The truth of the situation doesn't match your claims. 60% turnout for public
> elections wouldn't have happened if your assertions were true. ... with about half of the votes going for a party whose #2 platform plank was that a timetable must be immediately set for US withdrawl (which they changed only the night before the election)? Seriously, think before you post. The pro-US candidate, Allawi, got a pathetic 14%, *despite* being the only candidate with a significant amount of non-grassroots advertising and airtime.

Look at the voting results, for God's sake. over 80% of Shiites turned out, and almost all of them voted for who they were told to vote for (under threat of going to Hell - and no, I'm not kidding). Meanwhile, the Sunni clerics advised against voting, and their turnout was around a mere 5%. The Kurds turned out en masse and voted for parties whose ultimate goal is to secede, although they'll probably just have to settle for regional autonomy. The low Sunni and Baghdad turnouts were surprising, given that many groups spread rumors in advance of the election that you wouldn't get your food ration card if you didn't vote (which many Iraqis depend on to live).

> "US forces" who are attacked include the people who are bringing
> plumbing, food, infrastructure, schools and safety

You call *this* "plumbing, food, infrastructure, schools, and safety"? Yes, some people who have come under attack have had that as jobs, but not most. Infrastructure has deteriorated in Iraq while the US has been there. And yes, I will reference anything that you request. Power? Water? Oil? I've got numbers for them all. Hey, want to see the Pentagon's rating of Haliburton's "school" work while we're at it? They often destroyed more than they repaired.

From most Iraqi perspectives, however, the US is doing more damage to the infrastructure than it is fixing. And killing more Iraqis who bring "plumbing, food, infrastructure, schools, and safety".

> the Nazi Wolverines after the end of WWII

Total Americans killed by Nazis during the occupation of Germany: 0. Here's a ref from the American Institute of Contemporary German Studies:

http://www.aicgs.org/c/livingston011004.shtml

> What happened to all the Saddam secret police folks?

For all I can tell, they're working at Abu Ghraib ;)

Hey, by the way, are you looking forward to Sharia law? :) While the UIA can't make the constitution by themselves (they don't have 2/3), they're going to have an outright majority after the wasted votes are distributed, so normal legislation can be passed at will; plus, they've got the Sadrists on their side. Have you seen how women have to dress in the south nowadays? It's really, really sad.