New Skype diverter box

probe

http://www.actiontecsupport.com/files/CallCenter_Datasheet.pdf

New box that plugs into your PC, a regular phone and an analog phone line. With it you can:

1) Use a regular corded or cordless phone to make and receive calls over Skype. With it your regular home phone system can be used for both landline and Skype traffic.

2) Call into the Skypebox from your mobile phone (or any other phone) and get yourself connected to any number in the world - most of which cost less than 2c/min or at no extra chage if the called party is on Skype.

Lots of other features... (see datasheet)


Downsides:

1) Market rigging ComReg won't allow Skype to issue Irish phone numbers unless and until Skype set up an office in Ireland. Which with the high cost of setting up in Ireland and small market size and tiny margins Skype makes on phone calls, guarantees that eircom will continue to charge 30 c to ten fold that per minute for calls that are free or 2c/min on Skype.

2) You can't change the answering greeting recorded voice announcement (if you use this feature) which is only available in anglo-saxon yak... Costs about EUR 60,-

probe

Blaster99

Good idea, but you're not going to see massive savings on mobile calls as you will obviously pay Skype's mobile rates in order to terminate the call to the mobile phone. Perhaps it's appealing to pre-pay users.

Ro-76

probe wrote:

http://www.actiontecsupport.com/files/CallCenter_Datasheet.pdf

New box that plugs into your PC, a regular phone and an analog phone line. With it you can:

1) Use a regular corded or cordless phone to make and receive calls over Skype. With it your regular home phone system can be used for both landline and Skype traffic.

2) Call into the Skypebox from your mobile phone (or any other phone) and get yourself connected to any number in the world - most of which cost less than 2c/min or at no extra chage if the called party is on Skype.

Lots of other features... (see datasheet)


Downsides:

1) Market rigging ComReg won't allow Skype to issue Irish phone numbers unless and until Skype set up an office in Ireland. Which with the high cost of setting up in Ireland and small market size and tiny margins Skype makes on phone calls, guarantees that eircom will continue to charge 30 c to ten fold that per minute for calls that are free or 2c/min on Skype.

2) You can't change the answering greeting recorded voice announcement (if you use this feature) which is only available in anglo-saxon yak... Costs about EUR 60,-

probe

I have used a skype ata adapter like this. It works very well, but I really don't use it very often because I don't tend to call any skype users, and other services like Telestunt are almost as cheap as skypeout.

I'll sell it to anyone if interested.

Ro

probe

Blaster99 wrote:

Good idea, but you're not going to see massive savings on mobile calls as you will obviously pay Skype's mobile rates in order to terminate the call to the mobile phone. Perhaps it's appealing to pre-pay users.

It depends on who you are calling and when and whether or not they have a “landline” (or equivalent e.g. VoIP number). The higher Skype mobile rates are obviously a result of the monopoly termination rates imposed by the mobile networks which are largely unregulated.

The investment in a mobile network is tiny compared with the investment by an incumbent in their landline network. Incumbent landline networks make adequate profits on these very much lower call charges. Why are the mobile networks allowed to charge so much?

As long as suckers are too lazy to try a landline number first and use a mobile as a last resort, the mobile networks will continue to get away with monopoly pricing. Not to mention the green issues of the landscape blot caused by the increasing numbers of cellsites and the not yet fully understood health consequences of the electrosmog (radiation) exposure from the extended use of wireless handsets and increased proximity of cellsites to one’s living space.

It is surely time that ComReg introduced intelligent personal numbering (IPN) space to foster integration of networks. Callers to one’s IPN would first be routed to the appropriate landline number for the required party at landline rates and in the absence of a reply the call is routed to the appropriate mobile terminal (with the caller paying the mobile rate in the second instance).

Irrespective of market share, a mobile network’s call termination rate is an issue of significant market power in that they have 100% of the market in question and the issue should no longer be brushed under the carpet by ComReg.

In any event, the Skype box can make large savings for people who make European and international calls from their mobile phone.

probe

bhickey

probe wrote:

In any event, the Skype box can make large savings for people who make European and international calls from their mobile phone.

Any ATA that allows breakout of calls (i.e. dial the ATA and get a dialtone so that a call can be terminated using VoIP) will do the same thing. The Grandstream 488 and Sipura 3000 have this functionality and don't require a PC to operate.

Ro-76

bhickey wrote:

Any ATA that allows breakout of calls (i.e. dial the ATA and get a dialtone so that a call can be terminated using VoIP) will do the same thing. The Grandstream 488 and Sipura 3000 have this functionality and don't require a PC to operate.

They won't work with Skype, only standard VOIP providers.

bhickey

Ro-76 wrote:

They won't work with Skype, only standard VOIP providers.

True and that would be a good thing. My point was that they will perform the same quoted function, i.e "...make large savings for people who make European and international calls from their mobile phone."

Not working with or requiring Skype would be an extra bonus:) .

dam099

probe wrote:

It is surely time that ComReg introduced intelligent personal numbering (IPN) space to foster integration of networks. Callers to one’s IPN would first be routed to the appropriate landline number for the required party at landline rates and in the absence of a reply the call is routed to the appropriate mobile terminal (with the caller paying the mobile rate in the second instance).

If the caller is to pay mobile rates in the second instance as you suggest then it would be essential that some method be devised to alert the caller to the rerouting so that they can choose whether they wish to pay the typically higher mobile rates or end the call.

If a person calls someone on a landline at 1c a minute (or free if you have a talk bundle) they would be more inclined to talk for a long time than on a 20c+ a minute mobile call and it is essential therefore that they know in advance what they will be paying.

probe

dam099 wrote:

If the caller is to pay mobile rates in the second instance as you suggest then it would be essential that some method be devised to alert the caller to the rerouting so that they can choose whether they wish to pay the typically higher mobile rates or end the call.

How about a simple Recorded Voice Announcement along the lines of "If you remain on the line and the called party answers after this point, Rip-off Ireland's inflated cellular rates will apply to your call, sucker".

probe

dam099

probe wrote:

How about a simple Recorded Voice Announcement along the lines of "If you remain on the line and the called party answers after this point, Rip-off Ireland's inflated cellular rates will apply to your call, sucker".

probe

Sounds good.

shaneos

same thing available here for £18 + £4 p+P

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_5&products_id=101167

It is on amazon etc. for a lot more. Google for some reviews. It seems to be quite good.