For millions of Web users--now 100 million if you're Skype--voice over Internet protocol is eliminating the need for a landline.
Business 2.0 argues that one day, VoIP will significantly
lower your cell phone bill, too. Businesses will probably be most excited about this, because expensive international calls will become a thing of the past. Mino Wireless, a VoIP startup from Yahoo
country (Sunnyvale, Calif.), is offering cut-cut-rate VoIP calls for 2.2 cents a minute to more than 40 countries. The startup claims to be first provider to offer VoIP on mobile phones in the U.S. To
use the service, you need to be a mobile subscriber to either Cingular, Nextel or T-Mobile, a data plan, and a phone that can run Java. Mino actually launched this service in January; since then, it
has attracted 20,000 users. The international rates are so ridiculously low, it's no wonder the company is trying to market the service to expats (of which there are 70 million in the U.S.),
businessmen, immigrants, and foreign students. Of course, eBay unit Skype is also eyeing VoIP for mobile phones--you can be sure the company will be announcing a new product soon. It already said it
will soon offer support for Skype on phones running Windows Mobile software. Meanwhile, major carriers are testing VoIP themselves to lower the cost of maintaining their networks. VoIP would let them
carry more phone calls without having to build expensive cell-towers. Oh yeah, and don't forget that if Net Neutrality pans out in their favor, carriers will be able to dictate what traffic flows over
their networks and how fast. So don't count them out or anything.
Read the whole story at Business 2.0 »
