NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] True VoIP comes to Android, and Net Neutrality issues come along for the ride
"Fring" has just released a free Android version of their VoIP application, that works at least over Wi-Fi and 3G (and seemingly GPRS/EDGE as well): http://bit.ly/4xJKp (Fring) Along with (fairly simplistic, at this stage) interfaces to all of the popular IM interfaces, plus Twitter, Fring allows for access to Skype and SIP services via data connections (the official "Skype" app for Android actually uses voice calls from mobile, so is not end-to-end VoIP -- Fring Skype access really is full-blown VoIP). In early testing on my Android G1, I'm seeing excellent results for outgoing Fring Skype calls via Wi-Fi/3G -- even the couple of EDGE calls I made seemed OK. Incoming Skype calls are triggering Fring but drop before I can answer so far. Next is testing SIP VoIP services through Fring. Unfortunately, I don't have a Gizmo5 account (which would be optimum to test with for several reasons) -- and new Gizmo5 account creations have been suspended since Gizmo5's acquisition by Google was announced very recently (anyone got a spare Gizmo5 account that I can borrow?) Integration of Gizmo5 with Google Voice in some manner would seem to be an obviously liklihood, with a number of interesting implications. The continuing arrival of genuine VoIP applications for popular smartphones could well have *major* impact on Net Neutrality discussions as relates to wireless Internet issues. --Lauren-- NNSquad Moderator