Skype

Fring announced native VoIP application for iPhone

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Israeli company Fring has introduced the first native, true VoIP application for the iPhone. The application doesn't require users to route their calls through an analog VoIP bridge, like previous iPhone VoIP apps have. Using either SkypeOut or SIP, users can call landline/mobile numbers and even IM using Skype, Google, ICQ, MSN, Twitter, AIM, and Yahoo. Of course, users will need a jailbroken iPhone to use the application, but given the fact that Apple has vowed not to shut down VoIP over WiFi apps, we should see a legitimate version of Fring after Firmware 2.0 lands in June.

For more on Fring:
- see this press release

Related articles:
- VoIP developers fire up for iPhone iPhone VoIP story
- Jajah developing VoIP for iPhone iPhone and Jajah story

Is 3 UK moving toward a bit-pipe model?

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Kevin Russel, CEO of 3 UK, which has taken the open access model to heart by opening up its network to any application, has reset the company's business objectives by stating there will be less emphasis on developing mobile content and a greater focus on promoting mobile email, VoIP and IM services.

The Hutchison Whampoa-owned carrier made the headlines in 2006 when it announced the X-Series offering, a service that, among other things, included an 'all you can eat' data plan and came with Skype pre-installed on the subscribers' terminals. In October, 3 introduced the Skypephone that features a dedicated Skype button.

Since introducing a USB dongle, 3 says that data throughput on its HSDPA network increased sevenfold from October '07 to February '08, and mobile broadband would be a focus area. "But there are some bandwagons 3 is not big enough to jump on", Russell added. "We need to be a more focused company and not get distracted by services such as mobile TV." He also noted the company would continue to follow an own-brand handsets strategy, as this enabled it to offer more disruptive services such as Skype.

3's strategy should be watched carefully as many operators will embark on an open access model as they move into the 4G world. Is this the bit-pipe warning that Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin mentioned during his keynote at CTIA earlier this month? 3 isn't offering its own email, VoIP and IM services. It's allowing partners like Skype, Yahoo!, Microsoft and Google offer these services, possibly pushing 3 toward that bit-pipe model (for some reason the industry likes to use the phrase bit pipe instead of dumb pipe). 3's business model could ultimately turn into one where it is subsidizing devices, carrying data traffic and dealing with customer service.

3, however, says it would rather get a head start over larger competitors with email, VoIP and IM services than get distracted with developing content services. Meanwhile, many operators are talking about becoming "smart" pipes, a term I heard at FierceMarkets' 4G conference during the CTIA show. Sprint is embarking on such a strategy with its WiMAX network. It means operators leverage their assets, acting as both a content and access provider by controlling the customer experience. Third parties may be able to develop applications for the network, but the operator also partners with content providers to create optimized services. It also means the operator can charge based on function, not bits, and prioritize traffic on their networks.

It will be interesting to see how operators approach this open access world. We could very well see a no one-size fits all answer to this and everyone still making money.--Lynnette

FCC denies Skype's Carterphone petition

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:59:57 -0400

During Tuesday's keynote address at the CTIA show, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin drew applause from the audience when he announced that the commission was going to deny Skype's petition to apply the "Carterphone" rules to the mobile phone industry. The Carterphone rules were enacted in the 1960s to force the POTS industry to allow devices other than those provided by the old AT&T to connect to the network.

Martin said that it would be premature for the commission to add more requirements to wireless carriers now that so many operators have started embracing a more open environment. Specifically he said that the 700 MHz spectrum requirements for open access had caused many operators to recognize the benefits of open platforms for networks. Verizon Wireless, of course, has said it will open its entire network to devices and applications. In addition, he said that operators like T-Mobile USA, Sprint and AT&T will embrace openness with applications.

Skype later issued a response to the chairman's remarks expressing disappointment with the chairman's comments and that the petition was consistent with the recent 700 MHz auction.

"Without Commission oversight in the area, the FCC will have taken a step backward away from openness, and toward a policy of 'trust the carriers.' While we are cautiously optimistic that the carriers will deliver greater openness, unfortunately, if the FCC acts on the Chairman's recommendation, it will have given up any tools to protect consumers if they do not," said Christopher Libertelli, Skype's Senior Director of Government & Regulatory Affairs in a release.- Sue Marek

- See all our photos of the keynotes in our slideshow

Related stories:
On the Hot Seat with Skype's Chris Libertelli. Interview
Skype petitions to FCC for open cellular access. Story

Skype asks where are all the WiMAX devices?

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:59:53 -0500

For Gareth O'Loughlin, Skype's general manager of mobile and hardware devices, this year's Mobile World Congress show has looked to meet the challenge of bringing the Internet experience to the mobile handset. While this tired premise has garnered little fanfare, the solutions for porting the Internet experience to the mobile phone have not yet fully coalesced. The prevailing mindset of most carriers, however, has shifted in favor of a more open wireless network that discriminates less when it comes to handsets and applications. That said, O'Loughlin lamented the lack of WiMAX devices at the show.

Late last year Skype launched a Skypephone with Hutchison Whampoa's 3G carrier 3, which led to similar launches across Hutchison's carriers worldwide. "What we have shown with 3 is that Skype can partner effectively with an operator," O'Loughlin said. There is no need to maintain the mindset that Skype is a threat to mobile carriers, he added.

O'Loughlin said he is "very optimistic" about the promises of open access that major carriers in the U.S. have pledged in recent months, but he noted that no two carriers are the same. -Brian Dolan from Barcelona

Related articles:
3 Mobile and Skype collaborate on VoIP phone Editorial
Skype struggles to find real revenue Report

U.S. Treasury to make big on 700 MHz auction

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:59:57 -0500

After 26 rounds of bidding, the 700 MHz auction has brought in more than $18 billion in provisionally winning bids, a total that exceeded FCC expectations. Originally, the FCC expected total winning bids to fall between $10 billion and $15 billion. The commission needed to ensure the auction raised at least $10 billion because Congress already had allocated that much of the proceeds from the auction. The $6.9 billion (and counting) leftover is profit for the Treasury Department.

During the 17th round last week, the C Block of spectrum met its reserve price of $4.6 billion with a bid that topped $4.7 billion. Meeting that target ensured the open access provisions on the block will go into effect. The D Block, however, continues to languish with only one $472 million bid from the first round of bidding last week.

For more on the auction:
- read our continuously updated coverage here
- also read this interview with Skype's Chris Libertelli about the auction results

Amazon's Kindle first test of open access in U.S.

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Chalk one up for Sprint Nextel, which isn't waiting for its WiMAX network to roll out to begin experimenting with the whole concept of open access. Amazon is distributing a new eBook device, called the Kindle, that makes use of Sprint's nationwide EV-DO network to enable wireless shopping and over-the-air content downloading. (See story No. 1)

While the device and pricing concept of the Kindle is getting mixed reviews, this looks to be an important step for a U.S. industry that faces a regulatory and market environment that is forcing them down the open access path. The Kindle is the start of Sprint's whole concept around its WiMAX business--that a network can be accessed from several different types of consumer electronic devices that aren't subsidized or sold by the wireless operator.

I'm not sure the device will be wildly successful for a myriad of reasons, but it's a good start for open access and a test in finding non-traditional ways to make money in this new environment. We're already seeing innovative services based on open access come to fruition. 3 Mobile and Skype have collaborated on a customized VoIP phone. 2008 should be an interesting year for open access experiments. It's likely we'll see more operators than Sprint in the U.S. begin dipping their toes in the open access waters.--Lynnette

U.K.'s 3 and Skype introduce 3 Skypephone

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:59:56 -0400

As expected, 3 Group in the U.K. and Skype introduced an inexpensive, co-branded VoIP device called 3 Skypephone. 3 has already been offering Skype service through its X-series mobile Internet services. The new device uses Qualcomm's BREW platform and comes pre-loaded with the Skype application to make Skype calls as straightforward as possible for users. According to analyst Ben Wood with CCS Insight, said the quality of the VoIP calls are surprisingly good--a key factor for any mobile operator even considering mobile VoIP. The VoIP session is initiated on 3's network and delivered to a gateway where they connect to the Skype network so the calls don't travel over the Internet end-to-end.

The phone costs $103 with a prepaid plan when users spend at least $21 per month and is free for contract customers. Skype-to-skype calls and instant messages are free. The 3 Skypephone will become available in 3's markets in the U.K., Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Macao, and Sweden. Skype wants to offer it to other carriers. Will they be interested? And does this change the handset game?

For more about the 3 Skypephone:
- read this article from Unstrung

Related article:
3 Mobile and Skype collaborate on VoIP phone

3 Mobile and Skype collaborate on VoIP phone

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

U.K. operator 3 Mobile, which shocked the industry last November by embarking on an open Internet model, is now collaborating with Skype to launch a customized VoIP phone. The device, code-named "white phone," is expected to launch later this month in the U.K., Italy, Hong Kong and Australia, markets where 3 also operates, according to report from BusinessWeek. The carrier's other markets will follow.

The development is interesting for sure given the fact that 3 continues to take many gambles in the open access environment, finding non-traditional ways to make money and bucking prevailing notions that open access cannibalizes existing services. For instance, 3 has said Skype and Windows Live Messenger services actually grow usage rather than cannibalizing revenues from existing services such as SMS.

In this latest move, Skype is hoping that easy mobile access to its service could spur more overseas call traffic. Cheap international connections could be quite attractive to mobile users, who don't often use their mobile phones for international calling because of the expense. And 3 is putting little international revenue at risk by working with Skype.

Operators should be watching 3 and Skype closely on this one. Their resistance to mobile VoIP can't last forever, and they need to find ways now to try and monetize it before a company like Nokia, which is pushing hard with a direct-to-consumer access strategy, does it on its own.--Lynnette

P.S.--You asked for it, and you got it. I've spent weeks scouring over the Internet for the latest commercial WiMAX equipment deals across the globe. The result is what I believe a useful resource that will keep you up to date on the latest plans of operators around the world. It's a running list, and I'm also relying on you, gentle reader, to help me make sure I've included them all. Check out the list here. Comments? Recommendations? Contact me.

BT invests in FON

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:59:54 -0400

BT has invested in Spanish wireless startup FON, which aims to blanket the world in free WiFi hotspots. Now, BT's more than 3 million Total Broadband customers will be able to join the FON WiFi network, which currently provides more than 190,000 hotspots worldwide. If they join, BT's customers will be opening up a slice of their home WiFi bandwidth into a public network, which others can use. BT declined to announce how big a stake it acquired in FON or how much it invested. Google and Skype invested in FON last February.

For more on BT's stake in FON:
- read this release
- read this article from the WSJ (sub. req.)

Extra: Find out more in our FON Fierce 15 Profile

Related articles:
Read how FON is taking on Starbucks with Fonbucks campaign
See how FON's directional antenna expands WiFi signal range
Will Time Warner turn more Americans into Foneros?

3 to come to U.K. market with cheap HSDPA

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 06:59:55 -0400

We may actually see a wireless broadband pricing war in the U.K. Unstrung reports that U.K. operator 3 plans to shake up the industry next month when it launches HSDPA with speeds up to 2.8 Mbps for about $20 per month for 1GB service. That offer will be significantly cheaper than competitors Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone. The average price for 1GB service in the U.K. is about $60. Other pricing plans will include a 3GB service for $30 per month and a 7GB service for $50.

3 shook up the U.K. wireless industry last November when it launched a flat-rate wireless data package that includes services from Skype, eBay, Yahoo, Google, Orb, Sling Media, Nokia, Microsoft and Sony Ericsson.

For more about 3's HSDPA plans:
- read this article from Unstrung

ALSO NOTED: Wireless digital frame trends; New Nokia devices; and much more...

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 19:01:31 -0500

> Trend: Vendors will pack their digital frames with wireless networking, higher resolution displays and generous internal memory. Report

> Nokia is showing two major mobile phone devices--the thin N76 cell phone handset and the N800 Internet Tablet with WiFi and Skype calling capability. Report

> Atheros is showing the newest member of its AR7100 Wireless Network Processing Unit (WNPU) family--the AR7161. The company says the new product "unlocks the full potential of 802.11n technology." Report

> Rumor has it that Apple is readying an 802.11n version of AirPort.

> Samsung will soon be coming out with a wireless plasma HDTV: The TV set still has to be plugged into the wall, but the data will be traveling wirelessly over draft-802.11n. Report

And finally... Forget muni-WiFi; how about nudi-WiFi? See this Wired list of sandy beaches now offering WiFi to bathers.

ALSO NOTED: WiFi phones infringe on some consumer rights; Cricket team gets Skype-phone; and much more...

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 19:01:31 -0500

> Alexandria, VA is expanding WiFi network citywide. Report

> This interesting analysis from Jakarta, Indonesia, says that WiFi or no WiFi, cabling is still growing in importance.

> Are you accompanying the English cricket team on its tour in India? Now you can call home on Netgear's Skype-certified WiFi phone to commiserate about the team's performance. Report

> WiFi phones are convenient, but as a customer walks down the street and piggy-backs on the AP of that block's residents, some of these residents opine that this is a violation of their rights. Report

And finally... OK, there are no free lunches, but the New York Times' Matt Richtel, discussing WiFi phones, says that the air is free, and "Sometimes so are the phone calls that borrow it."

Netgear shows WiFi Skype phone

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 20:01:35 -0400

Converged cellular-WiFi phones are all the rage (or, rather, will soon be all the rage) and companies with market savvy have noticed. The latest to join the lengthening list of vendors (e.g., Wistron, Accton) offering cellular-WiFi phones is Netgear, which last week began shipping its SPH101 (it demonstrated the unit in January at a trade show). The company says that the SPH101 is the first publicly announced handset certified to make Skype WiFi calls. However, at $249.99, it's not quite the least expensive unit on the market.

The phone will allow users to make unlimited free domestic and international calls to other Skype users over a wireless network without being tied to a computer. The phone will work anywhere in the world where a user has access either to to a secured or open WiFi network (note: The phone will work only where the AP does not require browser-based authentication).

Netgear's Vivek Pathela says that the device would appeal to "die-hard Skype users worldwide who want to experience Skype in a truly mobile fashion without a PC." Infonetics Research's Richard Webb says: "Voice over wireless LAN adoption is primed for a surge beyond enterprises and into the everyday lives of millions of global consumers looking for a cost-sensitive telephony solution."

For more on Netgear's cellular-WiFi phone
- see Netgear's Web site

MORE: See this backgrounder about making WiFi VoIP calls without a PC.

Skype showing PC-less phone

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Remember Orson Welles's Gallo wine commercials, where he raised his glass to "things worth waiting for"? Well, here is something worth waiting for: A Skype cordless phone which does not require a PC connection. The new Philips VOIP841 plugs into a a RJ-11 jack and can make and receive Skype calls as if it were the regular home phone unit. Manrique Brenes, director of hardware business development for Skype, says: "If someone calls on the regular phone, it will ring. If someone calls you on your Skype, it will ring. It's similar to the experience you have on the laptop, but it's a lot easier to use. We've had a lot of success with the regular USB phones, and we think this is taking it a step further."

Philips is the only one making the phone now, but Skype expects other manufacturers to show interest. The phone will cost about $150 and will be available during the holiday season.

Skype advises consumers that its phone should not be used as a replacement to a regular phone, since the latter provides services--emergency calling, for example, that the former does not. There is, however, a lucrative niche for the phone: The constituency of callers who make many international calls but who are not necessarily comfortable with computers. More and more immigrants from the Third World, many with but basic education, are moving to advanced industrial societies seeking jobs. They want to keep in touch with family members back home and the new Skype phone might be ideal for them.

For more on the new Skype phone:
- see Natali Del Conte's ABC report

ALSO NOTED: Verizon upgrades network; A WiFi Skype phone; and much more...

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> Verizon will upgrade its wireless network infrastructure to EV-DO Revision A which will boost the (theoretical) upload speeds to 1.8 Mbps and download speeds to 3.1 Mbps. Report

> Skype has teamed with several hardware vendors--Belkin, Edge-Core, Netgear, and SMC--to bring a WiFi Skype phone to its customers. Report

> Toronto had an ambitious muni-WiFi plan, but it keeps running into problems, some anticipated, some not. Report

> Microsoft is getting ready to unveil its response to the iPod: The Zune. The details will be given in this week's Billboard, but you can catch a glimpse here.

> Not to be outdone, Apple is setting to unveil a WiFi-capable iPod Nano at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on August 7. Rumor

> Take a BlackBerry, remove all of its cellular radios, voice-calling capabilities and PIM software and replace them with the ability to make use of WiFi hotspots. What do you get? MobileMag says: A high-tech fuse box for kids. Report

> Palm will add WiFi to its new line of Treos. Report

> The market for WiFi phones would reach $3.7 billion by 2009. Research firm Infonetics says that worldwide WiFi phone market increased 116 percent from 2004 to 2005 to reach $125.5 million. Report

And Finally... What will they think of next? Let's see: There are WiFi phones, WiFi PDAs, WiFi PlayStations--and now there is a WiFi pen. Costing $19, the pen detects wireless web signals in a 50-foot radius and features red, yellow and green lights indicating signal strength. You can also use it for writing. Details.

SPOTLIGHT: The WiFi revolution

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 19:01:33 -0500

OK, so perhaps it is not as historically significant as the French Revolution, but it is still an important revolution. We are talking about the WiFi revolution, and Red Herring, the weekly dedicated to technology business mavens, dedicates the cover story of its forthcoming March 13 issue to what it describes as the WiFi revolution. It says that if anything keeps executives of old-line phone companies up at night, it is probably telecommunications upstarts like FON. The Google-backed company and others like it, are looking to allow people to communicate more cheaply using the Internet. Think WiFi everywhere. First there was Skype, which used the Internet to help people talk. Now there is FON, which essentially enables users to trade their Internet connections so everyone's connected wherever they go. Many believe FON could become the next big tech success story. I can hear Marie Antoinette now: "Les permettre d'utiliser WiFi." Preview

Google, Skype invest $21M in FON

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 19:01:36 -0500

Madrid-based start-up FON has big plans: It wants to build a global WiFi community which would allow members to share WiFi hotspots so they can access the Internet while traveling. Some big names have given it big money: Skype, Google and others have invested $21 million in the company. FON will enable its users to synchronize their home WiFi hotspots so that, if they have paid for a broadband connection at home, they will have instant access to all the other hotspots on the FON network. It is thus clear why Skype and Google would be interested in the company, as its application would allow customers to more frequently use applications such as Skype's phone service or Google Maps and Google Talk. Services such as those offered by Skype and Google become even more attractive if users can access them on the go and on different devices.

FON's service was officially launched this week but has been in trails for more than two months. It already has 3,000 users. FON offers customers free software to download to their computers, which will then open up their WiFi routers, allowing password-protected access for others. The service currently is compatible only with Linksys routers but will soon be available for other routers. The company wants to become the world's largest provider of hotspots by the end of this year, and Google and Skype bet that it will achieve this goal.

For more on FON's service:
- see this SiliconBeat report
- and FON's site

ALSO NOTED: Ixia acquires CMC; Dublin airport Ireland's largest hotspot; and much more...

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 20:00:50 -0400

> Cinram and Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) have jointly implemented an RFID solution in the UHF range. Report

> Calabasas, California-based Ixia acquires CMC and shows IxWLAN. Story

> Dublin Airport is now Ireland's largest wireless hotspot. Story

> NEC is developing a technology allowing users to move seamlessly between WLAN and mobile phone networks -- even as they are moving at race car speeds (the router and PC were tested in a car traveling at 124 miles per hour). Story

> Following its partnership with Boingo, Skype is now partnering with The Cloud to offer its services in the latter's 8,000 UK hotspots. Report

> WiFi users are targets of "Evil Twin" attacks. Report

> Wireless music to develop into big business. Study

> The worldwide telecommunications market is growing. A report from Research and Markets predicts the market will double from $123 billion in 2004 to $282 billion by 2010. Report

> Spain's Iberbanda picks Alvarion WiMax-ready network. Story

> Wireless mesh networking is expected to make inroads into industrial monitoring and control applications in part because of the ZigBee standard. VDC | ZigBee

And Finally... Freescale's Jon Adams on ZigBee's specs -- A to Z. Article

Skype, Boingo to bring VoIP to hotspots

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 20:01:38 -0400

In a move as siginficant as it was inevitable, Boingo and Skype will collaborate in creating Skype Zones, Boingo-operated hotspots where customers will be able to use Skype VoIP. More than 45 million users of Skype will be able to access IP telephony in any of Boingo's 18,000 hotspots around the world. The companies are offering unlimited WiFi access for Skype Internet telephony calls for $7.95 per month (users may also choose a two-hour fee option for $2.95). The $7.95 and $2.95 are designed as a Skype-only service; to get full access for Web surfing, email, instant messaging, and more a user must pay Boingo up to $22 per month.

The new service includes Boingo's WiFi sniffer, connection management, and roaming authentication capabilities. After being connected, users may make Skype calls and access other Skype features such as presence, global user directory, contact lists, and instant messages with the Skype software. The fees for Skype Zones do not include calls made to standard phone lines (SkypeOut) or calls received from those same lines (SkypeIn). Skype Zones is currently limited to users of the Windows operating system.

Research group Atlantic-ACM estaimates that VoIP use will expand at a compound annual rate of 64 percent through 2009. The experience of Skype offers proof of that -- more than 140,000 new users register for its services each day. Analysts say that the deal is a move in the right direction, even if it is not quite clear yet who will be using the service. Many VoIP users use it to make international calls, and even though $7.95 per month is a low price, there is a question about how many of them would pay extra money to make these calls from a noisy coffee shop or a busy hotel lounge.

For more on the Boingo-Skype deal:
- see Jennifer LeClaire's technewsworld report
- Eric Griffith's wi-fiplaner story

PLUS: At last week's Computex, held in Taipei, several companies showed handset models ranging from advanced phones with WiFi and GSM support and SIP-compatible handsets which work with most IP telephony services to basic consumer models designed for use with Skype. Story

Vonage to offer Wireless VoIP

Tue, 17 May 2005 20:01:35 -0400

Vonage is jumping on the bandwagon of wireless VoIP -- a bandwagon filling up rapidly. Skype is working on a wireless handset, and companies let it be known that they would soon be offering products for this market. There is every reason to believe that Vonage, a pioneer among independent providers of VoIP, would be offering a good product at a reasonable price. Reports in the press say that Vonage's customers are testing both wireless handsets for VoIP and wireless routers from Cisco's Linksys.

A combination of WiFi and VoIP may pose a serious challenge to cellular networks, and Vonage already tested a WiFi service with Boingo. In the current iteration, Vonage is testing hardware and software which solve issues of authentication and voice quality. Earlier this month Vonage closed some $200 million in venture funding.

For more on Vonage's wVoIP play:
- see Keith Regan's ecommercetimes report

PLUS: The billing challenges poised by VoIP. Article