WiFi - the new cellular service

Skype ond Boingo anounced that they are going to provide service for VoIP calls over WiFi hotspots. Along with this two of the major mobile phone manufacturers, Samsung and LG, anounce that they are going to develop phones that combine cellular and WiFi technolgy.

I think this new initiative can be blessing in disguise for cellular users, but a downfall for carriers. Since WiFi is becoming more and more popular, and hotspots are popping up all over, the cellular carriers will have competition to lower rate as service from Skype takes off. With the service from Skype you pay a monthly fee, but dont have to worry about burning up mobile minutes.

Think about the possibilites that in the near future, we will be able to make calls from a pocket pc device using a WiFi hotspot to either a mobile phone or a land line, without the worry of having a cellular plan.

[Brandon Miniman]

The cell phone carriers are really going to have to change their game plan ... why pay for EvDO when you can achieve quicker connection speeds via current WiFi connections on your Skpe capable device?

[DavesPPC]

There are no hotspots in my area, so WiFi isn't an option for me, as well as Skype.
I still depend on a cellular plan...no matter what the cost (unfortunately).

[RobertCF]

I was about to say something similar. Cellular/Wireless service outside of a major metropolitan area is a joke at best (one of my 17 reasons why I DON'T have a cell phone) and WiFi is almost non-existent. In fact, in our city we have two fixed-point wireless providers with limited towers (I have a 40ft pole with a 24db parabolic antenna to get a signal) so how on earth do some of these pie-in-the-sky types dare make such a ridiculous claim? They make it sound like a majority of people will be affected. HAH!

No, just like you're not going to see 100% cell coverage any time soon, you're certainly not going to see WiFi come close to impacting cellular service in any place other than major metro areas.

Good grief, some of these people need to take a drive outside the city and see what the majority of American lives with. Yikes.

[Pony99CA]

Originally Posted by asanfilippo70

I guess I was right in the sense that we can now use skype on our home wireless network to make phone calls.

You were able to do VOIP well before Skype, though, using services like DialPad (I think). I also haven't seen my cellular bill decrease much (if any).

Steve