Comments on: How I spent just $4.16 on mobile calls at VON http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/ A daily round table on the tech industry with experts and callers from all over the globe. Join us as we pick apart the news and get to the meat of what\'s happening out there. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:21:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Access Truphone Anywhere — Alec Saunders SquawkBox http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-798762 Access Truphone Anywhere — Alec Saunders SquawkBox Tue, 27 May 2008 14:33:49 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-798762 [...] address one of the last remaining flaws in Truphone’s offering. Currently, when I travel, I use both Truphone and Mobivox. Mobivox allows me to make outbound calls cheaply, and I use Truphone for all incoming calls and [...] [...] address one of the last remaining flaws in Truphone’s offering. Currently, when I travel, I use both Truphone and Mobivox. Mobivox allows me to make outbound calls cheaply, and I use Truphone for all incoming calls and [...]

]]> By:   Wifimobile again outsmarted by Truphone’s free offer by Laigoo - All In One http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-518142   Wifimobile again outsmarted by Truphone’s free offer by Laigoo - All In One Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:03:01 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-518142 [...] and goes prepay like Truphone. The move is said to be inspired by a blog post from iotum’s Alec Saunders from Canada who managed to spend just $4.16 on mobile calls and roaming at the IP industry event [...] [...] and goes prepay like Truphone. The move is said to be inspired by a blog post from iotum’s Alec Saunders from Canada who managed to spend just $4.16 on mobile calls and roaming at the IP industry event [...]

]]> By: Roaming On The Cheap In The US : wpdaily.net http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-506465 Roaming On The Cheap In The US : wpdaily.net Mon, 31 Dec 2007 03:07:23 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-506465 [...] away with being in the US for a trade show, yet manage to only spend $4.16 on calls? Alec Saunders chronicled his experience in doing so when he attended the VON conference in [...] [...] away with being in the US for a trade show, yet manage to only spend $4.16 on calls? Alec Saunders chronicled his experience in doing so when he attended the VON conference in [...]

]]> By: Alec http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-462586 Alec Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:23:33 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-462586 It really didn't cost them much at all John. My family has an unlimited North American calling plan from Bell Canada. It cost nothing more to call Truphone's 360 number versus my cell phone. My office pays .02 / minute for North American dialing, wherever they call. Again, no difference for them. The one person who did pay extra is has a Canada only long distance plan on his cell phone. And yes, having a combined GSM / WiFi number would have rocked. Truphone almost gives you that. It really didn’t cost them much at all John.

My family has an unlimited North American calling plan from Bell Canada. It cost nothing more to call Truphone’s 360 number versus my cell phone.

My office pays .02 / minute for North American dialing, wherever they call. Again, no difference for them.

The one person who did pay extra is has a Canada only long distance plan on his cell phone.

And yes, having a combined GSM / WiFi number would have rocked. Truphone almost gives you that.

]]> By: John O'Prey http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-462549 John O'Prey Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:42:39 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-462549 Hi Alec, Very good article and sounds like you saved yourself a bundle. That is great for you but how much did it cost your friends at home calling you on the Truphone number? Also wouldn't it be great if you could combine the Wi-Fi calls and GSM access numbers into one account? John O'Prey WiFiMobile Hi Alec,

Very good article and sounds like you saved yourself a bundle. That is great for you but how much did it cost your friends at home calling you on the Truphone number?

Also wouldn’t it be great if you could combine the Wi-Fi calls and GSM access numbers into one account?

John O’Prey
WiFiMobile

]]> By: bob http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-438717 bob Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:15:49 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-438717 I think we'll just have to wait until competing pipes become more mainstream ala wimax/wibro. Anything carried on the cellular pipe is subject to anti-competitive practices from the incumbents, at least in the states. Look at how slow they are to deploy 3G. And as it is, they do traffic-shaping. And I don't see this non-net-neutral policy going away either until the incumbents are seriously challenged by cheap and stable interoperable data carriage offered via some other channel. Let's hope that day is soon. I think we’ll just have to wait until competing pipes become more mainstream ala wimax/wibro. Anything carried on the cellular pipe is subject to anti-competitive practices from the incumbents, at least in the states. Look at how slow they are to deploy 3G. And as it is, they do traffic-shaping. And I don’t see this non-net-neutral policy going away either until the incumbents are seriously challenged by cheap and stable interoperable data carriage offered via some other channel. Let’s hope that day is soon.

]]> By: bob http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-438675 bob Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:44:35 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-438675 Incidentally, this sounds a lot like T-mobile's @home UMA offering. The pro of that service is the seamless integration/hand-off of cell to wifi and vice versa. The con (apart from the currently limited number of UMA phones) is that they still control pricing (e.g. out-of-network cellular roaming, etc). Your BYO solution gives you more control over price (sim exchange, etc) but makes the cascade integration less seamless. I don't think you can get the kind of seamlessness that uma offers without having hooks to all technologies involved (everyone has a hook to wifi/internet, but not to cellular). Cellular bandwidth is basically a cartel-controlled commodity in the states. The barriers to entry are simply to high. The 10 cents/min you're paying to cingular is an artifact of this. Incidentally, this sounds a lot like T-mobile’s @home UMA offering. The pro of that service is the seamless integration/hand-off of cell to wifi and vice versa. The con (apart from the currently limited number of UMA phones) is that they still control pricing (e.g. out-of-network cellular roaming, etc).

Your BYO solution gives you more control over price (sim exchange, etc) but makes the cascade integration less seamless. I don’t think you can get the kind of seamlessness that uma offers without having hooks to all technologies involved (everyone has a hook to wifi/internet, but not to cellular). Cellular bandwidth is basically a cartel-controlled commodity in the states. The barriers to entry are simply to high. The 10 cents/min you’re paying to cingular is an artifact of this.

]]> By: Alec http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-438248 Alec Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:16:45 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-438248 Hey Bob -- you're correct. Truphone lets you receive calls via cellular when you aren't in a WiFi zone. It simply forwards the call to the Cingular number. One of the very nice features they've built is to automatically detect the SIM change, and change the forwarding number for you that way. Hey Bob — you’re correct. Truphone lets you receive calls via cellular when you aren’t in a WiFi zone. It simply forwards the call to the Cingular number. One of the very nice features they’ve built is to automatically detect the SIM change, and change the forwarding number for you that way.

]]> By: bob http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-437956 bob Sun, 11 Nov 2007 06:05:48 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-437956 Why did Truphone care about your sim card? Its only requirement is wifi access. Which leads me to my next question: if you were out of wifi range, you didn't get incoming Truphone calls, correct? (unless they were forwarded to you cingular number, which costs 10 cents/min) Why did Truphone care about your sim card? Its only requirement is wifi access.

Which leads me to my next question: if you were out of wifi range, you didn’t get incoming Truphone calls, correct? (unless they were forwarded to you cingular number, which costs 10 cents/min)

]]> By: Shai Berger http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-432925 Shai Berger Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:53:01 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2007/11/02/how-i-spent-just-416-on-mobile-calls-at-von/#comment-432925 Awesome. Thanks for the tips. I'm still trying to do all my calling through Skype on my notebook over WiFi. I got the SkypeOut flat rate during their promotion for $15/year (normally $30/year). Works ok since I had WifI at both the hotel and the conference. But it's annoying to tell incoming callers that I will call them back. - Shai Awesome. Thanks for the tips.

I’m still trying to do all my calling through Skype on my notebook over WiFi. I got the SkypeOut flat rate during their promotion for $15/year (normally $30/year).

Works ok since I had WifI at both the hotel and the conference. But it’s annoying to tell incoming callers that I will call them back.

- Shai

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