The change in telecommunications continues unabated and VOIP (Voice Over Internet) is the latest development. Some early adopters have been using this for awhile but now cost, availability and demand are converging to make this a viable option for the masses.
Bell & Telus have just been pleading their case to the CRTC in Canada about keeping VOIP providers separate from any arrangements they have so that they can compete short term by slashing their prices – shame they did not do this when I moved to Canada in '96 and they were charging me 67c a minute to call the UK!
It looks like the CRTC is not buying it and that all the cable companies and everyone else offering VOIP are coming under the same rules – severe competition for Bell and Telus and great news for the consumer.
I currently use a European VOIP provider Skype, which lets me call anywhere in North America, Europe or Austrailia for 2c a minute! And if there is anyone I know anywhere in the world who is also on Skype – like William Arruda my personal branding mentor then the cost is ZERO!!!
Bell and Telus must be working frantically to re-work their offerings, with the number of VOIP users expected to triple before the end of the year and a $10 billion consumer market up for grabs they had better work fast!