The WI-FI and VoIP

Q: So Skype will cooperate with telecom companies as well as with wireless ISPs such as Boingo and Livedoor?

A: Yes. But our cooperation with wireless ISPs will be more important than that with traditional telecom companies, because the cooperation with wireless ISPs will provide our clients with mobility and accessibility for global communications. This will continue to be one of our key strategies for future development.



When you use VoIP making a call IP to IP the call "IS" free because you use an infrastructure you are leasing from the Telecoms or whoever is the owner of the Network.
You pay a flat rate for DATA and you use it also fro VOICE.
Thence the saving.

If you want to be "mobile" you have to add to this Network the leasing of the mobile network, in this case the cell phone network which is not free and is not cheap.
Thence the need to use an alternative Network that can connect the last "mile" which in the particular case of 802.11 is just a few meters (500 in the best conditions) it is not free and can eventually come at a flat rate.

OK, you are now in the condition to do a VoIP mobile call.
But is it convenient, and most of it, is it necessary?

The convenience is in the moment you do an International call.
But this is not the usual scenario of a mobile call.
If I am from USA and I am in Europe for my holydays, I guess I could pay a flat rate for using Hot Spots and call home.
But would the normal tourist find it easy to use and so much more affordable?
I see the user in this case more a "professional" that a mass market user.

But the normal scenario is made by people who use the mobile to call home.
In my opinion, right now, it is fairly useless a dual mode cell phone and it certainly doesn't justify its price.

That is exactly why Skype hasn't come on the market with something of that kind yet and it won't in the future, unless something really new is brought to light.
But if something really new is brought on the market I very much doubt that Skype will be the one to use it first.

VoIP is a wonderful new application and will be the future, but not on the Mobile network, at least not until the moment the data line will be offered on a flat cheap rate with enough bandwidth to make it possible to use it also for VoIP.
But in this case I think the protocol will be open SIP or open H323.
We have enough of the old monopolies, we do not need a new one...