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Skype Back on a Roll
By Mark Evans | February 27, 2005
Looks like Skype is coming back into the spotlight as lower prices for Internet telephony service are causing some people to wonder whether VOIP will eventualy be free. A story in the International Herald Tribune quotes FCC chairman Michael Powell as saying “he knew it was all over when I downloaded Skype”. In conversations I've had with telecom consultants and executives, there is a growing notion that carriers and cablecos will simply bundle voice with other services and it will become indiscernible as a “business”. While I'm loathe to dismiss Skype, I increasingly believe features will cause people to pay for Internet telephony as opposed to cheap or free long-distance. The money will be in compelling value-added services that are simple to use. If Vonage and AT&T's CallVantage want to be viable in the long run, they should stop bashing each other over price, and start telling consumers about their cool features.
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