If you loved VoIP, you'll be blogged over this! VoIP over your Cell Phone!

[RideFree]

Tom Keating's VoIP Blog
You have to check this out!
At first blush, it may look infantile but this makes all predictions go off the charts.

Why?
"When placing VOIP calls over EVDO, the cell phone companies do not charge you against your plan or minutes - so it is a way to make unlimited voice calls. I don?t think they [cell phone companies] will like that too much."

The new Dynamic DUO: VoIP over EVDO!

Knock yourselves out.

 

[ttown]

I thought cell phone service providers DO charge extra for data?

Isn't EVDO the buzz-word for web-surfing/data(eg. photo) transfer?

Worst case, I'm confident a similar set-up could be done where you drive around to find someones open wifi, and just use that. No cell phone/cell-account needed.
A laptop/low-power-pc with a wireless card plus an extra nic, set up connection sharing, plug in the gizmo and you're set.

ps, and ridefree... get back over to the SR thread... i asked you a question to your last post

 

[brystmar]

wow, that is really freaking cool

 

[MisterJackson]

Seems like alot of freakin' trouble. Aren't you still using your cell time and paying for the VOIP service over top?

 

[CyBuys]

I saw this setup in the 2004 Starsky and Hutch movie.

 

[RideFree]

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
Seems like alot of freakin' trouble. Aren't you still using your cell time and paying for the VOIP service over top?

Hello, I'd like the cheapest plan you've got. Oh! $19.95 instead of $125.99 + $9.99 tax that I've been paying? Count me in. (I've already got the VoIP paid for at home.)

What part of "Why? When placing VOIP calls over EVDO, the cell phone companies do not charge you against
your plan or
minutes
- so it is a way to make unlimited voice calls", didn't you understand?
Read carefully, then ask...no flame intended but when the answer is right in front of you...

 

[RideFree]

Who are "Starsky and Hutch"?
(Sounds like HollyWoodie is closer than us A/Ters to the bleeden' forefront!)

 

[RideFree]

Originally posted by: ttown
I thought cell phone service providers DO charge extra for data?

Isn't EVDO the buzz-word for web-surfing/data(eg. photo) transfer?

Worst case, I'm confident a similar set-up could be done where you drive around to find someones open wifi, and just use that. No cell phone/cell-account needed.
A laptop/low-power-pc with a wireless card plus an extra nic, set up connection sharing, plug in the gizmo and you're set.

ps, and ridefree... get back over to the SR thread... i asked you a question to your last post

1st. EVDO Rev A will bring additional bandwidth and be optimized for handling VOIP.

2nd. "...Finding an open wifi", I suppose you could, but who doesn't have a cell phone?

 

[RideFree]

I understand that Vonage is ranting and screaming and pulling their hair out over this.
Look for our legislators:evil: to protect us from this idea...:disgust:

 

[SynthDude2001]

Cool....when is any of this supposed to be mainstream?

 

[ECartman]

To make it clear, you aren't using your cellphone time, you are using your unlimted broadband access - using in this case EVDO -- which for instance from Verizon is $79.99 per month where available. Slower 1xRTT is available elsewhere where Verizon has service but is too slow for VoIP.

It is pretty cool. EVDO is great if available, not as fast as DSL or Cable broadband but for $79.99 and the added mobility may be a good replacement in the right circumstance.

The possibilities are pretty huge ... use FreeWorldDialup and a phone number from IpKall and you have a free incoming huge "cellphone" in addition to your broadband internet access.

 

[imthebadguy]

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001
Cool....when is any of this supposed to be mainstream?

sprint is rolling out evdo sep2005

 

[TekDemon]

I highly doubt that the phone companies will care, because of two reasons:
1) They'd be getting paid quite nicely for EVDO
2) Nobody will care to lug around all this VOIP equipment unless they have serious mental problems

 

[ECartman]

Originally posted by: TekDemon
I highly doubt that the phone companies will care, because of two reasons:
1) They'd be getting paid quite nicely for EVDO
2) Nobody will care to lug around all this VOIP equipment unless they have serious mental problems

ah but with a "softphone" on your laptop, you only need lug around a small laptop. I currently use my little Dell 700m and a FreeWorldDialup softfone to talk to my daughter half way around the world for free .... from my backyard or anywhere I can reach my wifi net (or any wifi net like in many California State Parks). This EVDO would allow me to do the same from virtually anywhere at all.

 

[RideFree]

EC,
You been doing this all this time and been keeping it a secret from us?
Sounds like you are more sophisticated than most of us'ns. I didn't have a clue. Furthermore, I'd only "heard" of the "softphone" in the last day or so.

That pic of the guy in the parking lot, talking on the Princess Phone, cracked me up.
Gotta see if there isn't one of those in the basement...

 

[intogamer]

omg then you can connect your phone to your laptop and get wireless broadband

 

[M00T]

As the article shows, the guy toggled the compression down to something lower than standard G711. SunRocket uses straight G711(90 Kbps), and no further compression. What this means to you, is EVDO is probably not providing enough bandwidth for SunRocket. If you want to use VOIP over EVDO, you'll need to use a provider with a higher compression.

When using VOIP, you may need to adjust the bandwidth saver option. The bandwidth save allows you to configure how much bandwidth the VOIP call requires. Normally, when on broadband wired, leaving this on the highest quality is best, however, over VOIP, lowering this, will use less bandwidth and that may be important for your VOIP over EVDO calls.

 

[fitzov]

thanks for the follow-up

 

[uOpt]

Originally posted by: TekDemon
I highly doubt that the phone companies will care, because of two reasons:
1) They'd be getting paid quite nicely for EVDO
2) Nobody will care to lug around all this VOIP equipment unless they have serious mental problems

But comes in handy for me with no land line at home, only cell. Could call my German friends all day long with this.

 

[joshmach]

Originally posted by: brystmar
wow, that is really freaking cool

 

[guttrhead]

You could lug all that crap around, or you could just get a ppc phone with EV-DO, like that audiovox one that verizon is selling. Several companies have softphone ppc voip clients (skype, stanaphone, glophone,...). The samsung i730 is another ev-do ppc phone due out soon, but its supposed to have wi-fi and be a little smaller. With that one, you can voip with wifi if you are indoors or in an area without evdo coverage and its more phone sized than ppc sized.