According to a report by the Associated Press, popular Internet-based telephony service Skype will today whip the covers off a plan to offer its customers access to unlimited international calls.
Skype introducing subscription-based landline international calls. Credit: Dominiekth/Flickr.
Skype, a subsidiary of online auction phenomenon eBay, will be looking to roll out unlimited call access to landline connections in some 34 countries for a fixed monthly subscription charge of $9.95 USD.
Don Albert, vice president and general manager for Skype North America has commented that the international service coverage will include the majority of European regions as well as Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Along with unlimited international landline access, AP reports that the service will also include domestic landline and mobile phone access too; although mobile phone access will initially only include Canada, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Currently, Skype exists as a freeware software application that allows its users to converse freely via their computers as long as they are equipped with a microphone, headset and/or Web camera for audio and/or video connections.
The service also offers a variable charged SkypeIn and SkypeOut service that enables users to accept and dispatch calls from and to landline and mobile phones.
It’s likely that the introduction of unlimited international access is a move designed to further boost Skype’s profit traction while widening its flexibility and user appeal as a competitively priced alternative telephony service.
According to Skype, which presently boasts an estimated 300 million registered user accounts worldwide, its users logged 14.2 billion minutes of computer-to-computer call time during Q1 of 2008, in comparison to 1.7 billion minutes of phone-based subscription calls.
JosephApr 21st, 2008 - 15:27:35
I have been using Skype for several years. I used Can't wait for skype to figure a way into providing mobile services as well.
Way to go Skype!!!
Report this comment