Filed under: VoIP
Packet8 joins the mobile minute stealers
The long-time VoIP phone service provider Packet8 just threw its hat into the cellular minute-stealing arena with its new service, MobileTalk. But before we can share about MobileTalk, it would be helpful to know what minute-stealing is. The idea is simple: use your phone's IP data service to transport costly long distance calls using Voice over IP instead of the traditional way--through the cell carrier's grossly expensive long distance interconnects.
MobileTalk is a software download that runs on a variety of phones. Like its contemporaries TalkPlus, Gizmo for Mobile, and Jajah, MobileTalk can be sent directly to your phone via a media message when you sign up for the service. Packet8 gets ten bucks when you sign up, ten bucks every month you stay signed up, and 2 - 6 cents per minute for every call you place. If you make a lot of calls across the pond, that *should* save you a fair amount of dough.
Of course, there's no value-add for existing Packet8 customers (like, say, a discount), and Packet8 still hasn't fixed the original set of problems with its service--for example, their soft phone (a PC program to let you make phone calls) still can't share a phone number with another Packet8 phone line. But if you make a ton of international calls on your wireless and you want the benefit of a single bill from your phone provider, MobileTalk is the way to go.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ian said 1:35PM on 11-20-2007
First: A casual reader of your piece might NOT understand that P8 is NOT providing, domestic long distance service, to cell phone users. Rather they are providing an add on international service at pretty good rates. Your domestic calls still go 100% over the cell phone networks.
Second: You are mistaken in that a current P8 user does not have a discounted fee. P8 is charging about $10,.00 p.m. for new cell phone users only and $5.00 for any existing land based P8 VoIP customer.
Overall I find the tone of your writing needlessly aggressive, especially the headline using the word "stealing".
In truth most cell phone users avoid making international calls over their cell phones, beacause it's expensive. What P8 appears to be offering is the use of their network and service agreements/gateways around the world. I see nothing bad about this. Sure there are alternative services, so P8 entering the ring is good for users, as it's more competition. Note many of the international charges are in the are of 2-3 Cents per minute.
But at least you took notice of the service.
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Ian said 2:00PM on 11-20-2007
I also see another mistake on your post.
You suggest that P8 uses (steals) the IP Data service on your phone.
However, P8's description of the service says it does NOT require a cell phone user to have a data plan. Ergo this is how I believe the service works.
You DL the software onto your phone and sign up.
When you want to make an international call you dial "011" + the number of the person you are calling. P8's software recognises the "011" digits and domestically calls P8's network using your cell phone minutes (this is important as you do user your domestic cell phone plan calling minutes). Your phone connects to a P8 domestic gateway and then continues thru P8's network and worldwide service agreements/gateways). Thus the quality of the call is so much better than a lagging cell phone IP Data service VoIP and there is zero "stealing" IMHO.
As I say it does seem to use cell phone minutes as per normal domestic calls (unless in unlimited nights and weekends) and adds on to that the 2-3 Cents p.m.(etc) for the international call.
Perhaps someone else can chip in and agree with the above, or
otherwise:)
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Tedly said 4:10PM on 11-20-2007
Minute-stealing is an industry-accepted expression that has been around for the last several years. It could be called minute diversion or minute cirmumnavigation, but I think minute-stealing was chosen because it has a better ring to it.
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Markus Goebel's Tech News Comments said 7:18AM on 11-28-2007
Packet8 MobileTalk could be done much better
When Packet8 presented MobileTalk I was fascinated, but just for some seconds. Then I thought: What a lost opportunity! It could have been such a great application, if it 1.) hadn't such an expensive basic fee, 2.) wasn't bound to one particular VoIP provider and 3.) didn't work only in the US. READ MORE...
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