wifitalk.ca

…and the movement to VOIP over 3G takes yet another step forward. Today, Nokia and Skype jointly announced that Skype would be available on Nokia’s Ovi Store.

Skype for Symbian enables Nokia smartphone users to:
- Make free Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world*
- Save money on calls and texts (SMS) to phones abroad
- Send and receive instant messages to and from individuals or groups
- Share pictures, videos and other files
- Receive calls to their existing online number
- See when Skype contacts are online and available to call or IM
- Easily import names and numbers from the phone’s address book

This gives Nokia an added boost in the face of decreasing marketshare at the hands of Android and the iPhone. The inclusion of the Skype VOIP app will allow users to make voice calls over their 3G data connection, rather than use up their (relatively) expensive voice minutes.

Mobile VOIP seems to be the way of the future, as data speeds increase, and data plans become (slowly) cheaper. It will be interesting to see how the telcos adapt, as voice plans and all of their additions such as SMS, voicemail, caller ID etc, are their bread and butter right now, and these features are all included for free with a $3/month Skype unlimited calling plan, and/or Google Voice.

Skype has added a few Canadian area code numbers for its Skype-To-Go service. The area codes for now are 438, 514, 647, and 778 (so basically Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver).

Skype-To-Go is a service whereby you can call a local number through your regular phone, which will allow you to use your cheap Skype long distance credit (if you have any) to make long-distance calls. You will still be charged for regular minutes usage through your provider, but at least they will be local minutes instead of long-distance.

With Skype offering an unlimited Canada and the US calling plan for $2.95 a month, this basically allows you to get free unlimited long distance for that amount. Not bad.

To enable the Skype-To-Go feature, simply log in to Skype, click on “Account” and then “Skype-To-Go”.

One can only wonder what this means for Canadian Skype-In numbers…

Skype and Verizon Wireless have announced that they are joining forces to provide a cheap integrated mobile VOIP solution starting in March of this year.

Skype CEO Josh Silverman and Russ Shaw, VP and GM of Skype mobile

According to the announcement, several BlackBerry and Android phones will come with Skype pre-installed upon purchase from Verizon. All Skype-to-Skype calls will be free, and Skype’s standard low international long distance calling rates will apply, while standard Skype calls will function over the traditional PSTN network.

Some of the phones available in March will be the BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR.

Perhaps the single biggest factor that will ensure this will be a success is the fact that the Skype apps will always be running, ensuring that you never miss a call – no hoping that you get a push notification in time to close the app you’re working in and start up Skype in time to take the call.

With such a heavyweight in the wireless industry taking such an interest in Skype and putting into good phones which will run Skype to the fullest of its potential, this really makes some noise in the mobile VOIP industry.

Canadian providers will probably be slow to adopt Skype, instead preferring to retain their long-distance voice plan revenue.

It looks like the Skype client’s ability to make calls over 3G may have to wait until Apple releases iPhone OS 3.2.

The LA Times is reporting on a conversation with an Apple spokesperson who confirmed the recent VOIP over 3G developments in the new iPhone OS 3.2 beta SDK licensing agreement.

“We revised our Program License Agreement in conjunction with our updated Software Development Kit for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Apps,” wrote an Apple spokesperson.  “Included in this update is the ability for developers to create VoIP apps that utilize cellular networks.” -LA Times

The reason why Skype has not yet updated their client to allow this functionality is because their current app and current iPhone users are still under the licensing terms of the 3.1.2 version of the iPhone OS. This version, which is currently running on most devices, forbids the use of VOIP applications over 3G, instead restricting them to WiFi-only. Skype spokesperson Chaim Haas has said that Skype is waiting on Apple for clarification of this issue. “As soon as we have that clarification, Skype will submit its application for approval.”

What this likely means however is that we will have to wait until iPhone OS 3.2 is released so as to not be bound by the restrictions of version 3.1.2.

There seems to be a mad rush to enabling VOIP over 3G on the iPhone today. First, iCall announced VOIP over 3G, then Fring hopped on board, and everyone was waiting for Skype to join in. The discussion even hit slashdot, and people started testing it out.

Well, according to at least one slashdotter, Skype works over 3G without issue now too.

I just tried skype on my iPhone…went through on 3g with no problems

If nothing else, this at least means cheap long distance on the iPhone, and possibly quite a bit of free talk as well if the calls are skype-to-skype. Some reports are that VOIP over 3G is of spotty quality. Any users care to chime in?

edit: it seems the skype client still doesn’t work, but you can use Fring to call out over 3G using skype-out

Company blogs are such a wonderful thing.

In a recent post on the Skype blog summarizing 2009 for the application, it has been announced that a 3G-capable version of the iPhone Skype app is ready and awaiting the Apple go-ahead for deployment. No real word on when that’ll happen, but it’s nice to know Skype is ready. The second piece of the Skype/iPhone puzzle – push notifications – is also on the radar:
Read the rest of this entry »

Story @ financialpost

Competition in the cellular phone market is always good and is why I have included this story. A good option for VOIP users could be to get an iPhone on a “cheap” minutes plan (ideally pay-as-you-go), and get a good data add-on. One could then use Fring/Skype or some other VOIP service through the data plan for cheap calling and long distance, perhaps even using it on a wifi network if/when available.

The Associated Press is reporting on Apple’s response to AT&T’s opening up of their 3G network to VOIP apps.

“We are very happy that AT&T is now supporting VOIP applications,” said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. “We will be amending our developer agreements to get VOIP apps on the App Store and in customers’ hands as soon as possible.”

We should now start to see a host of VOIP apps popping up on the app store, with an updated skype client as one of them.

The Washington Post is reporting that AT&T may allow VOIP apps such as Google Voice and Skype to operate on their networks, including on devices such as the iPhone. This could hopefully open up the door to the (re)introduction of some appstore apps and features which would permit the use of non-cellular voice communication on the devices.

Perhaps it’s due to the suspected end of AT&T’s exclusivity deal with the iPhone, and they are trying to grab as many new customers by luring them with the iPhone’s apparent new feature set before it becomes available to the other wireless providers. With Bell and Telus getting the iPhone in Canada soon, we may see some movement in this area in Canada as well.

macrumors.com is also carrying the story, and there is usually good commentary there.

Update: It’s hit all the blogs now.
engadget
gizmodo
skype’s comments

CBC Story

The CBC is carrying a story about the Skype for iPhone application release today and contained in their article is a bit about Skype-In:

Another feature from the company, SkypeIn — which assigns users a phone number so that they can take incoming calls — is still not available in Canada. Company executives told CBC News in early 2008 that the service would be rolled out within a year, but it has still not launched here.

“It’s one product that we’re constantly trying to widen with distribution. Canada happens to have more complex laws and regulations,” Yeung said. “We’re still working on it.”

Hopefully it will come sooner rather than later.