Comments on: Internet Calling Followup http://mrblog.org/2003/12/16/internet-calling-followup/ Mr Blog. Very technical, or silly, sometimes absurd. Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:31:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: MrBlog http://mrblog.org/2003/12/16/internet-calling-followup/comment-page-1/#comment-227 MrBlog Sun, 27 May 2007 15:31:39 +0000 http://mrblog.televolution.net/?p=108#comment-227 What irked my about these so-called VoIP services back in 2003 when I wrote this article was how they were being touted as so revolutionary when they really weren't.<br /> <br /> In terms of "Why VoIP" it is a valid question and we have seen some long-time VoIP supporters like Tom Evslin http://www.toyz.org/mrblog/archives/00000280.html and Martin Geddes http://www.telepocalypse.net/archives/001084.html jump off the VoIP bandwagon.<br /> <br /> In 2003, I was talking about making voice communications work like email, where some day everyone has a VoIP address, in the same way that we pretty much assume people have email addresses today. In this case, the economics of Voice communications work like email economics, which totally changes the way people communicate. It also represents $300 billion in the US and $600 billion worldwide in money people don't have to give away to telecos for services we don't need. This is still an interesting vision, but one that has received very little traction to date (exceptions are Gizmo, FWD, and to an extent Truphone, in terms of commercial services)<br /> <br /> In a more recent post, I describe how I use VoIP daily today in 2007, providing one version of the answer to "Why VoIP": http://www.toyz.org/mrblog/archives/00000311.html What irked my about these so-called VoIP services back in 2003 when I wrote this article was how they were being touted as so revolutionary when they really weren’t.

In terms of "Why VoIP" it is a valid question and we have seen some long-time VoIP supporters like Tom Evslin http://www.toyz.org/mrblog/archives/00000280.html and Martin Geddes http://www.telepocalypse.net/archives/001084.html jump off the VoIP bandwagon.

In 2003, I was talking about making voice communications work like email, where some day everyone has a VoIP address, in the same way that we pretty much assume people have email addresses today. In this case, the economics of Voice communications work like email economics, which totally changes the way people communicate. It also represents $300 billion in the US and $600 billion worldwide in money people don’t have to give away to telecos for services we don’t need. This is still an interesting vision, but one that has received very little traction to date (exceptions are Gizmo, FWD, and to an extent Truphone, in terms of commercial services)

In a more recent post, I describe how I use VoIP daily today in 2007, providing one version of the answer to "Why VoIP": http://www.toyz.org/mrblog/archives/00000311.html

]]> By: Matt Lambert http://mrblog.org/2003/12/16/internet-calling-followup/comment-page-1/#comment-226 Matt Lambert Thu, 10 May 2007 05:34:57 +0000 http://mrblog.televolution.net/?p=108#comment-226 David<br /> <br /> Stepping back for a moment, and this is a genuine question. "Why bother with VOIP in the first place"? If the language isn't too provocative. <br /> <br /> What is it about voice on the Internet that drives your articles here. I really do want to understand the benefits as you see them. <br /> <br /> My opinion is that VOIP is always going to struggle to make business sense in a mobile world. We can't expect that mobiles are going to hop over the barrier into a completely connected SIP world - so that's one major island that isn't going anywhere soon. We can't guess when to make calls to mobile users in the hope they're in a hotspot. Even if you end up with only two islands that can't interconnect, doesn't this mean progress will be stymied.<br /> <br /> Is it really all to do with the cost of calling and interconnect? I would imagine that PSTN costs will drop like a stone to nothing just as soon as VOIP manages to get a critical mass to compete. <br /> <br /> Is it the fact that Telco's are middle men creaming some and that just makes you mad?<br /> <br /> I hope I haven't completely missed something blindingly obvious. Regards Matt David

Stepping back for a moment, and this is a genuine question. "Why bother with VOIP in the first place"? If the language isn’t too provocative.

What is it about voice on the Internet that drives your articles here. I really do want to understand the benefits as you see them.

My opinion is that VOIP is always going to struggle to make business sense in a mobile world. We can’t expect that mobiles are going to hop over the barrier into a completely connected SIP world – so that’s one major island that isn’t going anywhere soon. We can’t guess when to make calls to mobile users in the hope they’re in a hotspot. Even if you end up with only two islands that can’t interconnect, doesn’t this mean progress will be stymied.

Is it really all to do with the cost of calling and interconnect? I would imagine that PSTN costs will drop like a stone to nothing just as soon as VOIP manages to get a critical mass to compete.

Is it the fact that Telco’s are middle men creaming some and that just makes you mad?

I hope I haven’t completely missed something blindingly obvious. Regards Matt

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