After a stomach-churning search for a cell phone service that is not overpriced, I decided to refrain from getting a cell all together. I am what some may consider a techno-elitist. The current state of cell service in the U.S. is ridiculous, and I refuse to pay for something that should be cheap, and in many instances data-based, as opposed to by the minute. But hey, that is just my bias.
When I was thinking about a two year contract I pondered what the state of telecommunications would be in 2010. I would hope we have better wi-fi bands, as well as having wireless networks become more prevalent.
Currently I use Skype, which was great at first. However, I have three main gripes with it as a service:
- Bandwidth – it takes up a lot, even when I am not using it
- Pricing – it is getting more expensive
- Closed system – I don’t trust anyone, which means transparency makes me happy
I am testing out Gizmo Project for now. It is a little cheaper, uses less bandwidth (as far as I can tell thus far), and… right, it is still a closed system. Well, it is a little bit more open, though this isn’t really something I measure on a scale. At any rate, it interacts with Jabber, which means it also interacts with Google Talk and some other clients based on the Jabber protocol.
I am going to keep my Skype account for now, though I am going to be researching different phone systems. I will be documenting my findings in the wiki, under the entry Internet Telephony. Have any suggestions?
EDIT: In the case anyone wanted to get a hold of me, the contact page would be a good start.
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What makes no sense to me is that I just want a phone that has a data plan, and like 60 min of talk time a month. I think that shouldn’t be more than $19 a month. It’s data. I would probably use 10-30K a day.
When I get rid of my work phone, the choosing of my communication device will be an investigated process, much like yours.
Keep me in the loop on that, I would like to setup an entry in the wiki about the different choices folks have. I doubt it will be a very large entry…
Ah, but you forget the ridiculous amounts of research I do for new purchases. >:)