There are upside to using VoIP - true VoIP that is, as it is supposedly to be more efficient. As we speak, most networks are transitioning to enable this capability.
The only thing is that most consumer think that VoIP should be either cheap or free. That's only true because of the way that most broadband services are marketed today - unlimited usage for a fixed fee. I believe this is ultimately not sustainable as not all resources are not unlimited. If priced on a per byte basis, a lot of this euphoric belief that VoIP should be free would likely have less support.
Also, circuit switched voice (even on mobile services) are getting a lot cheaper. In the country where I come from, it (especially international calls on mobile) is almost comparable to "VoIP" services like Skype, etc, only paying a small premium given better mobility, accessability, sound quality and ease of use.
If this is the case, why go through all the hassle to use these VoIP services? Not unless you have a dire need to call a computer...
Slashdot Mirror
There are upside to using VoIP - true VoIP that is, as it is supposedly to be more efficient. As we speak, most networks are transitioning to enable this capability. The only thing is that most consumer think that VoIP should be either cheap or free. That's only true because of the way that most broadband services are marketed today - unlimited usage for a fixed fee. I believe this is ultimately not sustainable as not all resources are not unlimited. If priced on a per byte basis, a lot of this euphoric belief that VoIP should be free would likely have less support. Also, circuit switched voice (even on mobile services) are getting a lot cheaper. In the country where I come from, it (especially international calls on mobile) is almost comparable to "VoIP" services like Skype, etc, only paying a small premium given better mobility, accessability, sound quality and ease of use. If this is the case, why go through all the hassle to use these VoIP services? Not unless you have a dire need to call a computer ...