The Mobile VoIP Conundrum

The two major mobile phone operators in South Africa, MTN and Vodacom are both threatening to terminate the contract of any subscriber who is using his/her data service for VoIP. They also threatening that they may in addition retrospectively charge such customer very high per megabyte rate as penalty for using VoIP. This much is stated in the fine prints included in the usage terms and conditions for some of the mobile phone operators. For example subscribers on MTN who use voip would have to pay R25 per Meg for data service while on Vodacom network they would have to pay R10 per Meg. This is extremely exorbitant considering the fact that the present data charges is R2 per Meg or even cheaper.

A clause at the very bottom of MTN's terms and conditions for data offerings reads:
"In terms of the current regulatory regime in South Africa, please note that these tariffs and the MTN GPRS, GPRS+, EDGE or 3G technologies may not be used to transfer or generate Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic. Should it be found that VoIP traffic was carried over the MTN network using these tariffs or technologies, MTN reserves the right to cancel the agreement that you have with MTN, with immediate effect. You will also be charged retrospectively at R21.93 per Megabyte (VAT excluded) for any VoIP traffic transferred by such means."

This operators are afraid that VoIP will greatly affect their revenue which is largely dependent on charging voice customers by the minute and are desperately trying to prevent their customers from taking advantage of VoIP. How long this would work is yet to be seen but i personally believe it would not work for so long if at all. VoIP is here to stay and its given consumers cost effective alternatives. Water always find its level and so consumer of telecom services will always move to a technology that will enable them to pay less and get more, this technology is VoIP. The earlier this operators accept and adopt voip technology the better it would be for them. They should look for ways to earnests the business potential of VoIP and there are quite a lot of them. Those telecom companies that will survive in the long run are those that adopt voip and form a profitable business model around it and needless to say quite a lot of telcos are already doing that. For VoIP its either you join the band wagon or be left behind, there is no two ways about it.

http://solokay.blogspot.com/2006/11/south-africas-mobile-operators-wants.html
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:rolleyes: So, what does the law say nowadays...
 
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VoIP is old hat - try free cellphone calls

Mobile VoIP (mVoIP) is about to become mainstream. Skype, Fring, Nimbuzz, Truphone and others are all offering mVoIP through your cellphone's Internet connection.

Classic voice over IP (VoIP) is old technology (although we waited a while for it to be legal in South Africa because Telkom couldn't work out how to monopolise it), and the next generation is poised to free users up even further by linking the technology to existing cellphone connectivity. It is global, ready-to-use, slick, good quality and, best of all, it's mostly free.

It couldn't be easier - mVoIP software allows you to talk and Instant Message (IM) via your handset's Internet connection. You will still be paying for your Internet connection, but not for a phone call. To your service provider, data is data; you could be surfing the Web, ftp-ing files to your webserver, making a VoIP call or scanning for open ports on the Pentagon's servers. It doesn't matter - it's all just data to them. So it really doesn't make a difference if you're using your Internet connection for making phone calls.

http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iArticleId=4905617
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:cool:
 
VOIP has really taken off in South Africa since it became legal in February 2005. More companies are implementing VOIP solutions in their existing environments and home users are certainly starting to follow suit by using the likes of Skype and Google Talk.

I am not the only person who believes that mobile technology is crucial in reaching out and communicating throughout Africa. I am aware of MXit and it's impact on mobile instant messaging, however I would like to focus on mobile VOIP. There are three new mobile applications on the scene, they are:

Yeigo
Continues Below↓


Yeigo is a South African start-up which has developed South Africa’s first mobile VOIP solution. The venture started around June 2005 and launched its product in March 2007. A second version is being developed which is set to boast several new features.

What It Offers:


Free VOIP, Yeigo to Yeigo
The more friends you can get using Yeigo the more free calls you can make, all you will pay for are the data costs that your network provider charges.

Charged VOIP, Yeigo to Landlines, Mobile & International
If you wish to call people without Yeigo you will have to purchase credits from them. Yeigo 's prices seem reasonable. Maybe they will drop as more users start using the service.

SMS Out
This allows you to SMS non-Yeigo users, however you are charged for this. They claim savings of up to 90%. (Yeigo rates)

Yeigo Instant Messaging - Coming Soon
The sooner this feature becomes available the sooner Yeigo will start to see their user base start to increase at a rapid rate. Combining VOIP and Instant Messaging is a sure winner. This will also bring some competition to MXit. Nothing like some healthy competition to get people innovating.

Variety of Handsets Supported
They support phones from Nokia, i-Mate, HTC, Motorola and more.


Works on Wi-Fi, GPRS/EDGE and 3G
Wi-Fi connectivity, now that is impressive. This means if my phone is Wi-Fi enabled I do not even need a SIM card to use Yeigo.


What It Doesn’t Offer:



Integration With MSN, Google Talk or Skype
If I could talk to my other contacts on MSN, Google Talk and Skype from Yeigo then my mobile phone would become even more mobile since all my email is routed through GMail which already has a mobile client.

Voicemail
If I really started using Yeigo as a communication tool often I would be more than willing to pay a monthly fee for voicemail, unless they were willing to offer it for free. Perhaps they could even create something like MTN's i-Mail.


File Transfer
If I needed to get a document on my smart phone to a contact really quickly I could use Yeigo’s file transfer feature, I could send family members photos or even video clips.


Fring

Fring is an Israeli start-up which strives to combine the benefits of the internet with the mobile phone. So far it seems they are doing just that and was recently featured on Sky News. Just in case you are wondering, they are also still in beta.

What It Offers:


Free VOIP, Fring to Fring, Fring to Google Talk, MSN and Skype
Using their patent pending P2P Mobile VOIP technology, Fring allows you to call other users on Fring. All you will pay for are the data costs that your network provider charges. Talk and chat over Wi-Fi are completely free.

Charged VOIP Using Skype Out
This is very interesting, Yeigo makes money through their outgoing calls to non-Yeigo users. Fring however allows Skype to make the money. Fring merely uses their API. Where does Fring generate income from? It intends to reduce the termination fee network operators pay each other, although no such agreements have yet been signed.

Integration With MSN, Google Talk and Skype
In my opinion integration with other instant messengers is very important. Having all your contacts from all networks in one central place is really great, it is also time and energy saving.


Instant Messaging, Fring to Fring
Chat to your Fring contacts and only pay for the data costs, just like MXit.


What It Doesn’t Offer:



SMS Out
I could not determine whether they have an SMS out feature but if they don’t I am sure it would not be hard to implement, as Skype already offers SMS at very affordable rates. They are already using Skype’s API for outgoing calls to landlines and mobiles, they might as well implement this if they haven’t already.

Voicemail
Once again, Skype offers voicemail functionality, they should take advantage of this. Even though it comes at a cost to the user.

File Transfer
As I mentioned above, file transfer is really handy and often overlooked.


Handset Support is Limited
Currently they only seem to support Nokia handsets, you can take a look at the supported handsets here.


Barablu

Started in 2005, barablu was the first company to provide free calls between Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones. Based in the UK, barablu is also still in beta.

What It Offers:


Free VOIP, barablu to barablu, barablu to Google Talk and Skype
Just like the two services above, barablu also offers free VOIP calls to other users on barablu. Once again all you pay for are the data costs set by your network provider.

Charged VOIP using barablu Out
Like Yeigo, barablu generates income from VOIP calls to non-barablu users such as landlines and mobile phones.

Integration With Google Talk and Skype
With barablu you are able to chat and talk to your contacts on Google Talk and Skype. They are currently working on integration with Yahoo Messenger.

Free Voicemail
I like voicemail, I think it is really nifty because we aren’t always available. I am really glad to see barablu offering free voicemail. You can personalize your voicemail as well as download it to your PC.

File Transfer
This is really useful as I mentioned above.

Free Video Calling - barablu to barablu
Would you like to see who you are talking to? Sometimes we would all like to, so barablu allows you to make free video calls to other barablu users. All you pay for are the data costs charged by your network provider.


SMS Out
A wonderful feature to have if you need to contact someone who doesn’t have barablu.


What It Doesn’t Offer:




Integration With MSN
Although they already provide integration with Google Talk, Skype and, soon, Yahoo Messenger, MSN is also a very popular instant messaging application. If barablu offered integration with MSN they would once again set the bar higher for it's competitors.


Note: Skype is also going mobile.

Can We Use VOIP On Mobile Phones?
Thee legal situation around VOIP on mobile phones is still confusingl. However, here are some articles of interest which should shed some light.

Skype Me! - Entrepreneur Magazine SA, 31 May 2006.

You’ve been Voiped! - Storm Telecom, 24 November 2006.

MTN to charge for Skype, MXit - My Broadband, 8 March 2007.

VoIP nightmare for mobile operators - My Broadband, 11 March 2007.


http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2884&iArticleId=3817853
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:cool:
 
Vodacom also sells high speed data cards to connect computers to the internet, but its contracts do not single out any services as possible targets for higher prices. If data users remain within their monthly allowance there is no extra fee for using Skype or MXit, even though those services erode Vodacom’s potential profits. Users who exceed their limit pay R1,20 for every extra megabyte.

Chief communications officer Dot Field says Vodacom does not offer voice calls over the internet itself as the technology was not of a high enough quality. “However, Vodacom allows VoIP on the network and deems it just another data stream, similar to sending e mails or browsing the internet. Our standard data rates apply.”

http://mybroadband.co.za/nephp/5829.html
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:p
 
ABI Confirms Earlier Wi-Fi Handset Annual Doubling Prediction

ABI claimed that initially telecom operators were apprehensive about Wi-Fi taking traffic off their networks, resulting in lost revenue, but now have realized that the network may actually get freed and therefore inadvertently provide more bandwidth from which additional revenues can be leveraged.

Wi-Fi works in the uncluttered and open frequency range of 2.5 to 5 GHz. This enables it to steer clear of induced and conduced interferences, including when telecomm towers are transmitting just a few yards away. Wi-Fi handsets can download and upload a lot of data. Somewhere between 23 Mega bits per sec (Mbps) and 54 Mbps, with some reports claiming even 140 Mbps.
Since Smartphones sales appear assured in 2009, and with Wi-Fi on firm footing, it makes marketing sense to supply Wi-Fi enabled Smartphones.

http://telecom-expense-management-s...rms-earlier-wi-fi-handset-annual-doubling.htm
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:p
 
July 23, 2009

ANADIGICS Launches New Circuit for WiFi-Enabled Wireless Handset Market

"The AWL9966 was developed to give WiFi system designers a highly integrated, easy-to-use, high-performance front end for size-constrained mobile products," said Dave Cresci, senior director of ANADIGICS' WiFi product line, in a statement

"Low noise figures in the receive paths, together with high gain and high linear output power in the transmit paths, translate to greater WiFi range and higher data throughput,” Cresci said. “These enhancements enrich the user experience, particularly as video and other high-data-rate applications become more prevalent in handsets."

http://www.tmcnet.com/wifirevolutio...new-circuit-wifi-enabled-wireless-handset.htm
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:D
 
August 25, 2009

Consumers Expect Wi-Fi to Be Built into Devices, says Devicescape Wi-Fi Report

Devicescape, a provider of advanced Wi-Fi software solutions, has just unveiled its second quarterly Wi-Fi Report which indicates new insights into Wi-Fi usage and opinions from more than 1000 survey respondents from around the world. This is Devicescape's second report detailing consumer attitudes toward Wi-Fi and other high-bandwidth, wireless technologies.

The survey, conducted by Decipher, Inc. and sponsored by Devicescape, Intel (News - Alert) and Meraki is said to have queried a cross-section of Devicescape's members, a group that includes a variety of professionals and students.

Reportedly, the Devicescape Wi-Fi Report has indicated an overwhelming number of respondents (96 percent) expect device manufacturers to build Wi-Fi into devices such as cell phones, digital cameras and portable gaming devices. Nearly 93 percent of respondents are said to have stated that they will make a buying decision based on built-in Wi-Fi.

Moreover, the report also mentioned that 90 percent of respondents make hotel and travel decisions based on the availability of Wi-Fi, and 96 percent expect it to be free. Approximately 72 percent of respondents are stated to have expressed to become tenants at apartment complexes that offer free Wi-Fi.

Also, 84 percent of users is said to have insisted on hassle-free access to Wi-Fi, meaning no PIN or password and 85 percent of people want their device to automatically switch between Wi-Fi and 3G networks based on what is best for the application.

The Debicescape Wi-Fi report also indicated that nearly about 53 percent of the respondents wish to only have free Wi-Fi.

The report has clearly highlighted that 98 percent of respondents log onto Wi-Fi daily; 57 percent of those log on more than five times a day. Additionally, they are willing to share their own networks if there is reciprocity, especially if there is some form of rating system in place.

"The smartphone and other intelligent devices have changed the game for device manufacturers and service providers alike. The volume of content downloaded, uploaded or streamed is increasing dramatically, as are demands for services like remote technical support," said John Tennant, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Intel Corporation.

"Consequently, consumers are demanding easy and immediate access to Wi-Fi networks. We can only expect this demand to intensify as more and more services are developed and delivered," added Tennant.

The survey findings also yielded insight into interesting new trends. From choosing next-generation consumer devices to what hotel to stay at and even what apartment complex to become a tenant, Wi-Fi drives purchasing decisions, said the company official.

"Whether for work, home, or travel, people demand Wi-Fi and are willing to make purchase decisions based on the availability of Wi-Fi," said Sanjit Biswas (News - Alert), chief executive officer at Meraki.

"We see the Devicescape Wi-Fi Report as an invaluable tool to gather vital information from the most important people in the market -- the Wi-Fi user base itself," said Dave Fraser, chief executive officer at Devicescape.

"By tapping into the opinions and usage habits of the Wi-Fi user base, we can help address critical issues and move toward a better Wi-Fi experience."

http://www.tmcnet.com/wifirevolution/articles/62885-consumers-expect-wi-fi-be-built-into-devices.htm
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Wi-fi everywhere... :)
 
Transcending the GSM Standard

According to GSM World, GSM standards cater for the communication needs of more than 80% of the world’s population, across 218 countries. Smartphones, however, use high-speed WiFi, which goes above and beyond GSM, allowing for improved surfing, email messaging and even VoIP.

In a survey by ABI Research, roughly 44% of smartphones have WiFi capabilities and 74% of people with WiFi enabled phones use the feature. As of April 2009, there were 311 certified WiFi handsets (smartphone or otherwise). As WiFi is not on the GSM network, it truly has surpassed the standard.

RealTechNews reports that the 4 top selling smartphones between June and August 2008 were:

• Apple iPhone 3G
• RIM Blackberry Curve
• RIM Blackberry Pearl
• Palm Centro

Modern mobile operating systems are designed to handle many of the specialised online services available via a desktop or laptop Internet connection. Many popular Social Media and networking websites have their own mobile versions. Here are some noteworthy examples:
Answers.com
Blogger
eBay
Facebook
Facebook (BlackBerry specific)
Facebook (iPhone specific)
Flickr
Gmail
LiveJournal
MSN
MySpace
NY Times
Skype
Technorati
Twitter
Windows Live
WordPress
Yahoo!
YouTube


Although only a feature phone, the Sony Ericsson C510 is an example of a device which is made for mobile integration and features a pre-installed Facebook application. The Nokia N97, which ships in June/July 2009, features dedicated Facebook applications, while Motorola is in the process of creating what they call a ‘social smartphone’.

There is more possibility for third-party development on smartphones due to the sophisticated operating systems. However, while even basic phones harbour vulnerability to viruses and other malicious software, sophisticated models are often the target of malicious applications due to the power of the operating systems and popularity of the devices.

“When a spam email appears to come from a trusted source, too many users are fooled and end up clicking through to a malicious Web page... The naivety shown by many Internet users is downright dangerous,” said Graham Cluely, Sophos Technology Consultant.

One could run one’s entire life from a smartphone, anywhere in the world. The potential of smartphone operating systems requires that the handsets have some form of antivirus and firewall protection. Whether they are installed afterwards or are part of the bundled software, the amount of personal and financial information that these devices could contain warrants the need for watertight security from the real risk of viruses and fraudsters.

Smartphones have higher quality multimedia functionality, such as video and audio codecs and advanced programming language capabilities. This means that smartphones can access almost any website (mobile or traditional), in as close to the original format as is possible on a portable handset.

One might find that a smartphone user has less need for .mobi sites or mobile orientated search engines. Nonetheless, the simplicity (in localisation, navigation, functionality and content) is still attractive to the smartphone user on the move – especially the smartphone user who may move on to a mobile competitor.

http://www.quirk.biz/resources/mobile101/284/2/Mobile-Handsets-Basic-Feature-and-Smartphones
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;)
 
Hi i know this post is from a by gone era but was wandering if it is now possible to use MVoiP over mutlitple sims ?
 
Perhaps operators can make use of the upcoming Google RCS messenger to deploy their own Voip services. Make it a billable and quality guaranteed service, but with much cheaper rates. Can be used then to provide much cheaper roaming also while being able to use your same SA number?
 
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