Friday, December 03, 2004
Mobile VoIP?
Via Slashdot, I found Xcelis, a company that offers unlimited calling on your mobile phone within the U.S. and Canada. Very briefly, you pay $9.99 per month for the package and depending on your carrier, you call a designated number which gives you a new dial tone. Any call you then make is then routed over the Internet or over POTS. Sounds great so far.
Why would you use this service though? It seems like you already need a service provider to access this service and most providers in the U.S. provide with you X minutes for unlimited calling. So, if you already have unlimited calling, why would you use this service? Okay, it makes sense if you have a pre-paid card, which you can buy for as little as $10 and is valid for a year. You can then use the Xcelis plan on top of a pre-paid card, I presume. However, since most subscribers in the U.S. use calling plans, I fail to understand the target market. I imagine you would also have to pay for incoming minutes since there is no way to get to your specific phone unless of course you change your number.
Anyone use this service at all? Am I missing something here? Will cell phone companies beat this challenge off by simply increasing the number of minutes on each plan?
UPDATE: From their FAQ -- "To use this service you MUST make sure that you have unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling activated on your wireless service calling plan." Errrmmm, whats the point then? To call landlines?
Why would you use this service though? It seems like you already need a service provider to access this service and most providers in the U.S. provide with you X minutes for unlimited calling. So, if you already have unlimited calling, why would you use this service? Okay, it makes sense if you have a pre-paid card, which you can buy for as little as $10 and is valid for a year. You can then use the Xcelis plan on top of a pre-paid card, I presume. However, since most subscribers in the U.S. use calling plans, I fail to understand the target market. I imagine you would also have to pay for incoming minutes since there is no way to get to your specific phone unless of course you change your number.
Anyone use this service at all? Am I missing something here? Will cell phone companies beat this challenge off by simply increasing the number of minutes on each plan?
UPDATE: From their FAQ -- "To use this service you MUST make sure that you have unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling activated on your wireless service calling plan." Errrmmm, whats the point then? To call landlines?
