With so many companies assembling at the starting line for the race to mobile VOIP world domination, I wonder if we’re seeing a hurry-up-and-wait sort of thing. On the VOIP Service Blog read about mobile VOIP in a nutshell.

By now the VOIP world knows of Truphone’s victory in court over mobile giant T-Mobile. Yesterday, UK Truphone won an injunction against T-Mobile blocking calls to Truphone users: For the last month, anyone calling a Truphone number on T-Mobile network would hear a "Number not in service" message. By Monday, July 23, T-Mobile has been instructed to start routing these calls.

There’s plenty of cheering on the Truphone website, http://truphone.blogspot.com/2007/07/truphone-wins-court-injunction-against.html but I have yet to find T-Mobile’s official or unofficial response. I couldn’t find anything on their website. In the spirit of gathering the whole picture, let me know if you find a company statement or interview anywhere. 

Have you noticed that it’s raining mobile VOIP these days? Information Week asserts that VOIP has finally hit the mainstream wireless market and points to Fring, JaJah Mobile and Windows Mobile 6 as indicators who’ve all had new announcements this week. Truphone is also part of that crowd.

Tom Keating reviews Jajah Mobile on his blog. Check it out.

As a consumer, I’m happy there are options. But I’m also a consumer who’s not really ready. This mobile VOIP stuff means more decisions. What’s most important to me? Being in touch with my Skype contacts, my Google Talk buddies, my JaJah list or some other list somewhere? Do I like downloading an application to my phone or would I rather not–too finicky? Do I need multiple phone numbers for my cell phone? I like to use the Wi-Fi capability of my nifty Nokia N80i, but cruising around my usual haunts in town I’ve yet to find a free access point (obviously I need to get out more). The only place I’ve used mobile VOIP is from the comfort of my own desk.

Truphone is a UK software developer that has just released free VOIP software for Nokia E series cell phones. Mobile calls are free forever to other Truphone users and, until the end of the year, free to landline phones as well. For Truphone to work, you must have Internet access to a Wi-Fi network, which means your home, coffee shops, and public access points, among other places.

The company also resides on an all organic farm in Kent, UK, which I think is kind of cool. Their web site is well documented from a user point of view, so if you’re thinking of giving it a try, click the Help tab and have a look the Frequently Asked Questions and How-to-Guides.

Also read Tom Keatings review of Truphone software.

This caught my eye today. AvantiMobile in the UK is marketing something called Least Cost Routing for mobile phones. When you make a call, the Avantimobile application in your phone checks to see if it can be routed cheaply through their VOIP network. If it can’t, the call goes through the regular cell network. You don’t have to do a thing except dial. It sounds simple and I like that.

Trying to absorb all my choices when it comes to new VOIP handsets, services and applications makes me feel like I need a flow chart just to make a call. Just look at Andy’s list of what he uses day to day!

I’ve had such a great response to my earlier post, VOIP Services for Canadians, I thought it worthwhile posting again with a number of additions.

All these companies offer Canadian area codes. Some are US companies so you pay in US dollars. Testimonials (good or bad) about any of these folks are welcome:

http://www.unlimitel.ca/
www.callcentric.com/
http://www.voxbone.com/
http://www.vbuzzer.com/
www.broadvoxdirect.com/
http://www.hip.ca/
http://www.internationalnumber.com/
http://www.atlasvoice.com/
http://www.inphonex.com/
http://www.les.net/
http://www.iax.cc/
http://www.axvoice.com/
http://www.ravon.ca/
http://www.iristel.ca/
http://www.netfone.ca/
http://www.nuovotel.com/
http://www.savytel.ca/

From: www.quickstartvoip.com

Voice over the Internet phone service is no longer an exclusive preserve of techies. Scores of telecom companies, cable companies and young entrepreneurs have set up VoIP services.

Each one claims to offer extra features and benefits. So how do you decide?

If price/cost is your most important deciding factor, VOIP comparison sites are great. They extract all the rate info and display it in a handy chart. Voipreview.org is a good example. Click here to compare the VOIP phone service and prices being charged by different providers.

The services that you should take a close look at are basic services, advanced services, voice mail, faxes, call blocking, web management, special calling, and customer service.

The most common services being offered by VoIP providers under the different service heads are:

1. Basic Features: Call forwarding, international call forwarding, caller id by number, caller id by name, call-waiting, call-waiting caller id, disable call waiting, distinctive ringing, repeat dialing, return dial and three-way calling.
2. Advanced Features: Call Transfer, conference bridging, simultaneous ringing, sequential ringing, secondary virtual phone number, additional service lines, toll-free numbers (incoming), MS Outlook integration and softphone support.
3. Voice Mail: Retrieval of voicemail from telephone handset, phone number for external retrieval, retrieval via web interface and receiving of voice mail via e-mail
4. Fax Functionality: Support outgoing/incoming faxes, receive faxes via voice mail, and a dedicated fax line.
5. Call blocking/filtering: Block outgoing international calls, block outgoing 1-900 calls, block incoming anonymous calls, do not disturb notice. This also includes blocking of telemarketing calls or selective blocking and selective forwarding via e-mail of filtered calls
6. Web Management: Modify basic/advanced features, obtain detailed call logs, activate order/cancel features/services, activate click to call facility, and provision of web interface that is compatible with non-IE browsers.
7. Special Calling: 911 Emergency calling, 411 Information, free in-network calls, free calls to external VoIP networks, Cable box/SatTV/Tivo compatibility
8. Customer service: Technical support via telephone, technical support via email, web-based technical support and account management by telephone.

Today BridgePort Networks announced the commercial availability of MobileSTICK, a USB device that transforms your PC or laptop into an extension of your cell phone. When you plug MobileSTICK into a PC or laptop with a fixed line or Wi-Fi broadband connection, the device launches a PC softphone, secured by a SIM card that utilizes the your existing mobile phone number to make and receive phone calls, SMS messages and multimedia (MMS) messages. Your existing mobile remains active and continues to utilize its existing SIM.

Ken Camp had the opportunity a few months ago to do a podcast with BridgPort’s Sanjay Jhawar that explains the MobileSTICK technology in detail. It’s really good and worth a listen.

A friend of mine recently asked about VOIP services in Canada. Like me, he started with Vonage but has decided to look elsewhere. We both live in Vancouver and want a local 604 number. I discovered that at this point, there aren’t a lot of options. Thus began a search for services that support Canadian area codes.

I found that Mark Evans, a Canadian technology blogger, has a nice list. I’ve added a few names to it here:

• Shaw Digital Phone: BC & Alberta (select areas)
• Rogers Home Phone: BC (select areas), Ontario, probably elsewhere but they make it hard to find out. You have to enter your postal code before they’ll tell you.
• Primus TalkBroadband: Canada-wide, select cities
• Vonage: Canada-wide and the only one I think that includes the adaptor for free
• Zingotel: BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec
• Bell DigitalVoice: Toronto, Montreal, Hamilton
• babyTEL: BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia
• Telehop Broadtalk: Ontario
• AOL Canada TotalTalk: BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia
• Cogeco: Ontario,Quebec
• SpectraVoice: Ontario, Quebec
• Videotron: Quebec
• unitz.ca: Canada-wide
• DigitalVoice: BC, Alberta

Added Sept. 25:

• Unlimitel: BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec

 

If you are really looking for the best deals in residential VOIP services, look at providers with annual subscription rates. Most VOIP providers only offer monthly plans. Vonage for example is currently offering $24.99 per month for its basic unlimited service (free unlimited calling to anywhere in NA and Europe).

But as a way to reward and attract customers, VOIP companies are adopting what cell phone companies have been doing for years: offering the latest and greatest gear for free in return for long term committment. 

SunRocket markets a similar package at $24.95 per month or an annual subscription at $199 per year. That works out to about $17 a month. So if you can handle prepaying for your service by the year instead of by the month, then an annual package is a good idea.

Packet8 has also recently adopted the annual package deal. For a flat rate of $199 per year, you get get unlimited calling within North Americal, calling features like voicemail and call waiting and a 100% discount on a Packet-8 enabled UIP1868P 5.8-GHz digital cordless phone system, which can be extended to work with multiple cordless handsets.