VoIP Tariffs
By: Stephen Cogdon, Phd service available over all
Researcher Pathfinder ISPs. The following eight tables
Projects Ltd present prices for each of
The ten providers are now the ten providers relevant to
3G has found an ally in introduced. Babble, important aspects of the
Voice over Internet Protocol www.babble.net, is aiming VoIP service. The tables act
(VoIP) in its pursuit of to meet its ambitious as a comparison with which
integrating video telephony statement of being to decide which provider
into the mainstream market. ‘Britain’s favourite Internet may be most suitable. The
VoIP is providing the telephone company’ and has following abbreviations are
Internet with one of its most a reputable investor in used. Babble GO is
significant commercial uses BON.net. BT Babble’s pay as you go
which will continue to Communicator with Yahoo! service, Babble ON is
revolutionise the way we Messenger, Babble’s £5 monthly
communicate with the www.bt.com/btcommunicat service rental with 1000 free
world around us. Internet or, needs no introduction minutes service and Pipecall
telephony is set to replace and BT Communicator is PAYG is Pipecall’s pay as
our traditional telephone the software arm of BT you go service.
network providing us with Broadband Talk. Freetalk,
more accessibility, choice www.freetalk.co.uk, has The following table lists the
and freedom than ever strong potential as it is initial cost when signing up
before. accessible on the high street with the VoIP provider.
through renowned retailers
VoIP provider Skype offers Currys, Dixons, PC World Setup
a Video Calling facility and The Link. Gossiptel,
which provides free one-to- www.gossiptel.com, has Babble GO Free
one video conversation. Gradwell dot com as one of Babble ON Free
This is akin to the video its operators. Just-dial VoIP, BT Free
telephony model that 3G www.justdialvoip.com, is Gossiptel Free
has marketed as the major powered by Onetel. Just-dial VoIP Free
selling point of its mobile Pipecall, Sipgate Free
phones. 3G has stalled in its www.legend.co.uk/home/tel Skype Free
attempt to make video ecommunications, is owned Vonage Free
telephony a success, but the by Legend Communications VoIPCheap £10
potential of Skype Video who purchased Pipemedia. Pipecall PAYG £14.99
Calling may well be of Sipgate, Freetalk £19.99
benefit to both parties. The www.sipgate.co.uk, has
success of Skype has established itself and is in The following table lists the
produced a number of collaboration with Netgear on-going monthly cost for
competitors keen to hustle to promote its service. As using the VoIP service.
in on the lucrative market with BT, Skype,
for VoIP services. www.skype.com, needs no Monthly service rental
introduction as the most
Ten VoIP providers have popular VoIP service Babble GO Free
been compared here as available and has Intel and BT Free
listed in a top ten in the Netgear as collaborators, Gossiptel Free Free
March 2006 edition of .net having recently been taken Sipgate Free
magazine. Internet Service over by eBay itself. Skype Free
Providers (ISPs) have been VoIPCheap, VoIPCheap Free
excluded to ensure prices www.voipcheap.co.uk, is a Just-dial VoIP £1.99
are specific to a VoIP Skype clone which has Just-dial VoIP
service and not incorporated begun to earn credibility Iite £2.99
into a broadband package. due to its very generous Pipecall PAYG £2.99
ISPs may feel obliged now pricing. Vonage, Just-dial VoIP
to provide a VoIP service, www.vonage.co.uk, Max £4.99
whereas independent VoIP accounts for nearly half of Babble ON £5
providers firmly believe the users in the US VoIP Sipgate 1000 £5.90
they offer a thorough market. Freetalk £6.99
Gossiptel World VoIPCheap 9.75p Calls to Australia
500 £9.99 Freetalk E 10p landlines (per min)
Vonage £9.99 Gossiptel E 10p
Gossiptel World Vonage E 10p Babble ON Free
Unlimited £14.99 Babble GO 11.5p VoIPCheap Free
Babble ON 11.5p Babble GO 1p
The following table lists the Pipecall PAYG Pipecall PAYG 1.008p
cost per minute for national D 11.808p Skype 1.1p
calls to UK landlines where Sipgate 14.9p Sipgate 1.8p
the following abbreviations Freetalk D 15p BT 2p
are used: peak (P), off-peak Gossiptel P 15p Just-dial VoIP 2.2p
(OP), day (D), evening (E) Vonage D 15p Gossiptel 2.5p
and weekend (W). Skype 16p Freetalk 3p
Vonage 3p
Calls to UK landlines (per The following table lists the
min) cost per minute for calls to The following table lists the
Europe to landlines in cost per minute for
Babble ON Free Germany. international calls to
Freetalk Free Free landlines in Japan.
Just-dial VoIP Calls to Germany
Max Free landlines (per min) Calls to Japan landlines
Just-dial VoIP (per min)
Lite E and W Free Babble ON Free
VoIPCheap Free VoIPCheap Free VoIPCheap 0.5p
Vonage Free Pipecall PAYG 0.8832p Babble GO 1p
BT OP 1hr 0.1p Babble GO 1p Babble ON 1p
Pipecall PAYG Skype 1.1p Skype 1.5p
W 0.55152p Sipgate 1.7p BT 2p
Pipecall PAYG BT 2p Pipecall PAYG 2.364p
E 0.552p Freetalk 2p Sipgate 2.4p
Babble GO 1p Vonage 2p Gossiptel 2.5p
Gossiptel Just-dial VoIP 2.1p Freetalk 3p
E and W 1p Gossiptel 2.5p Just-dial VoIP 3.5p
Skype 1.1p Vonage 4p
Sipgate 1.19p The following table lists the VoIPCheap
Pipecall PAYG cost per minute for Mobiles 8.25p
D 1.248p international calls to US
Freetalk 1hr 2p landlines. The tables offer a guide to
Just-dial VoIP 2p the prices available for each
Gossiptel P 2.5p Calls to US landlines (per VoIP provider. Competition
BT P 3p min) is strong and the decision to
choose a particular provider
The following table lists the Babble ON Free maybe one made on
cost per minute for national VoIPCheap Free intuition. BT and Skype
calls to UK mobiles. Pipecall PAYG 0.8352p offer more conservative
Babble GO 1p prices as they can be seen to
Calls to UK mobiles (per Skype 1.1p be the currently established
min) BT 1.5p leaders in providing VoIP
Sipgate 1.5p services. Freetalk, Pipecall
Just-dial VoIP Freetalk 2p and Vonage are also
20mins E 0.75p Just-dial VoIP 2p renowned providers, but
Just-dial VoIP Vonage 2p they offer more enticing
20mins OP 1p Gossiptel 2.5p prices in an attempt to
Freetalk W 5p increase their share of the
Vonage W 5p The following table lists the market. Babble, Gossiptel,
Gossiptel W 6p cost per minute for Justdialvoip and Sipgate
Pipecall PAYG international calls to also stem from recognised
W 7.4112p landlines in Australia. companies offering
Pipecall PAYG generous prices and
E 9.5166p VoipCheap is growing in
respectability whilst
offering very worthwhile
prices.
The advantage Skype has
over its competition is its
userbase where four million
users can be online at any
one time, whilst Babble has
around 100,000 users. If 3G
have targeted Skype’s use
of Video Calling as of
relevance to their own
success with video
telephony then they must
hope that Skype can remain
a leading VoIP provider. As
VoIP providers continue to
enhance their services the
inclusion of additional
features and functionality
can only be of benefit to
video telephony and 3G.
Pathfinder Projects Ltd.
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