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Telecommunications Skype goes mobile with Netgear's WiFi handset
Telecommunications Skype goes mobile with Netgear's WiFi handset | Skype goes mobile with Netgear's WiFi handset |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Tuesday, 02 May 2006 | |
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See also: Skype wants to be pre-installed
The phone is not yet on sale in retail outlets but can be pre-ordered online from Netgear here. Estimated shipping date is the second half of June.Skype foreshadowed today's announcement last October when it announced an extension of its contract with Global IP Sound (GIPS), the supplier of voice processing technology embedded in the Skype VoIP software to addresses sound delay, acoustic and network echo and jitter. Skype said it would continue to use GIPS technology in Skype software for desktop computers but also for pre-installation on other devices, and that, as a result of the extended agreement, "manufacturers will have the opportunity to offer free, high quality, Skype calling on Wi-Fi enabled mobile handsets". James Bilefield, Skype's vice president of business development, said: "We see Skype on mobile devices as a big part of our future development and are delighted that GIPS is working with us and other partners to advance this critical part of our business." The high price of access to some public wireless hotspots (around $14 per hour for casual access to Telstra's and Optus' for example) could deter many users. However if an agreement struck between Skype and Boingo last year is extended to the WiFi phone, it is likely to make it much more attractive. Skype announced last July an agreement with global roaming access service provider, Boingo that enabled people with Skype on a WiFi enabled laptop to use Skype via Boingo's network of 18,000 WiFi hotspots worldwide (now more than 30,000 from over 130 operators) using a custom Skype version of the Boingo software. Unlimited WiFi access for Skype Internet telephony calls was charged $US7.95 per month, or $2.95 for two hours. The service, Skype Zones, was then a beta service, and the companies say that terms and availability might change. Present information on the service on the Skype website does not appear to have changed since the announcement.
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Netgear has launched a WiFi phone for use with Skype, at a retail price in the US of $US250. Users will be able to make and receive calls from any WiFi hotspot through which they have access.
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