Comments on: VoIP in a Down Economy http://phoneboy.com/2604/voip-in-a-down-economy VoIP, Mobile Phones, Telecom, and Technology Made Simple Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:56:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Tom Slof http://phoneboy.com/2604/voip-in-a-down-economy/comment-page-1#comment-27075 Tom Slof Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:02:33 +0000 http://phoneboy.com/?p=2604#comment-27075 I use Google's GrandCentral.com in conjunction with Gizmo5 to make and receive completely free phone calls anywhere in the U.S. over a wifi connection. Does anyone know if the AT&T DATA ONLY plan would allow this to work or will there be some caveat. I use Google’s GrandCentral.com in conjunction with Gizmo5 to make and receive completely free phone calls anywhere in the U.S. over a wifi connection. Does anyone know if the AT&T DATA ONLY plan would allow this to work or will there be some caveat.

]]> By: spg http://phoneboy.com/2604/voip-in-a-down-economy/comment-page-1#comment-26902 spg Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:31:33 +0000 http://phoneboy.com/?p=2604#comment-26902 i would say that the economic hard times are a time when the VOIP operators should go back to the basics. stop talking so much about feature sets. do concentrate on customer service, crystal clear voice quality and beyond everything else absolute rock bottom pricing. i would also say this is generally the time to think more about customer satisfaction and less about impressing the VC guys. the ones that succeed will be those who concentrate are keeping costs down and making a small incremental margin based profit from the beginning; not those looking for an IPO and VC infusions. i would say that the economic hard times are a time when the VOIP operators should go back to the basics. stop talking so much about feature sets. do concentrate on customer service, crystal clear voice quality and beyond everything else absolute rock bottom pricing.

i would also say this is generally the time to think more about customer satisfaction and less about impressing the VC guys. the ones that succeed will be those who concentrate are keeping costs down and making a small incremental margin based profit from the beginning; not those looking for an IPO and VC infusions.

]]> By: Jared Eldredge http://phoneboy.com/2604/voip-in-a-down-economy/comment-page-1#comment-26900 Jared Eldredge Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:30:06 +0000 http://phoneboy.com/?p=2604#comment-26900 seems to me that a $20/month prepaid data-only sim card on, say, at&t, would work well. i can connect to gizmo5 via fring using at&t medianet reliably enough... if it comes down to it, i could see myself switching from ($40+$15+$5) at&t voice service to ($20+$0.019/min) at&t data with gizmo5 for voice. $40 gets you 450 minutes on at&t, and assuming they were all outbound minutes (gizmo only charges for outbound) then the two services compare like this: 1. at&t voice = $60, includes 200 messages - pro: more convenient; better quality voice, etc - con: more expensive 2. at&t data + gizmo voice = $28.55, includes unlimited messages - pro: cheaper, relies on prepaid so no contract, works over wifi as well - con: lower quality voice, for others to call you you may need a combo of {GrandCentral, callerID@gizmo, Area775, CallIn number, etc} still - that's more than 50% savings, and that assumes you use 100% of your minutes each month and that you're always calling OUT. on a month you only receive calls, or don't make any calls (cheapest possible service rate) your rate drops to $20/month - or 66% off at&t's rate. of course, i've assumed throughout this that any self-respecting mobile user with an interest in VoIP will have data services. savings exist, but drop significantly, if you avoid data services and txt-msging with at&t, opting for their cheapest voice-only plan (still, $40/month is more than $28.55) -bit seems to me that a $20/month prepaid data-only sim card on, say, at&t, would work well.

i can connect to gizmo5 via fring using at&t medianet reliably enough… if it comes down to it, i could see myself switching from ($40+$15+$5) at&t voice service to ($20+$0.019/min) at&t data with gizmo5 for voice. $40 gets you 450 minutes on at&t, and assuming they were all outbound minutes (gizmo only charges for outbound) then the two services compare like this:

1. at&t voice = $60, includes 200 messages
- pro: more convenient; better quality voice, etc
- con: more expensive

2. at&t data + gizmo voice = $28.55, includes unlimited messages
- pro: cheaper, relies on prepaid so no contract, works over wifi as well
- con: lower quality voice, for others to call you you may need a combo of {GrandCentral, callerID@gizmo, Area775, CallIn number, etc}

still - that’s more than 50% savings, and that assumes you use 100% of your minutes each month and that you’re always calling OUT. on a month you only receive calls, or don’t make any calls (cheapest possible service rate) your rate drops to $20/month - or 66% off at&t’s rate.

of course, i’ve assumed throughout this that any self-respecting mobile user with an interest in VoIP will have data services. savings exist, but drop significantly, if you avoid data services and txt-msging with at&t, opting for their cheapest voice-only plan (still, $40/month is more than $28.55)

-bit

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