What popular Internet program boasts over 100 million downloads yet its name is unfamiliar to most Americans? That would be Skype, an Internet telephony service based in Europe that is enjoying phenomenal popularity "across the pond" (and in Asia as well). Owing as to how a similar service has only just come to the States--New Jersey-based Vonage--and how "VoIP" (Voice Over IP) is only just starting to become a familiar acronym, I hope I am excused for only just getting to know what it's all about.
This week, I decided to give it a try for myself. I downloaded the Skype program, which allows anyone with a microphone and speakers/headphones to use their computer as a phone to call, for free, any other Skype user in the entire world. The program is remarkably easy to use, and it works very well. The quality of the connection, even on international calls, is quite good.
One thing I've enjoyed about Skype is the ease by which users from all over the world can search for other people with whom to have conversations. Already, I've talked to people as far away as Germany, Syria, and China. My very first time using Skype, a teacher in Wuxi, China (coincidentally, a city I happened to visit on my tour of China last summer) contacted me looking to practice her English. I've talked to her a few times this week, about the school where she teaches English, her students, travel experiences in China, American music and movies, and more. The only technical difficulty we've had thus far was one time when the electricity in her school was abruptly cut off.
A few days ago, a 32-yr old unmarried hotel worker living in Damascus, Syria called me. He wanted to know my opinions on a number of regional issues, such as the situation in Lebanon, the Iraq war, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I in turn asked him how he felt about Hezbollah, spoke of a stabilizing Iraq, and expressed my hope for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Though his English was limited, it was an interesting conversation. We both found it funny when, in quizzing him about his attitudes toward America I asked, "Do you like the U.S.?" He hesitated a long while before answering "...er...maybe!"
This weekend, I took my Skype-ing to the next level by signing up for "SkypeOut", which enables me to use my computer to dial regular phones. Yes, this technology has been around for many years now, but I don't think it's been this cheap or reliable until recently. Using SkypeOut, I can make calls for only 2 cents/min to my family in Maryland--and to anywhere in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Australia, and more. For other countries, the rates are higher, but are still likely to be cheaper than what you would normally pay. I haven't used SkypeOut much, yet, but it appears to work quite well. The quality of the connection has always been great, and the person on the other end would never suspect I was calling from my computer. The only negative thus far has been a few dropped calls, but I'm not sure if that is Skype's fault.
I mentioned Vonage earlier. I haven't had a chance to use their product yet, but poking around their website has been quite interesting. Vonage crossed the 400,000-subscriber mark at the beginning of this year, and they continue to grow rapidly. Currently their product is more expensive and perhaps a bit more limited than Skype, but I anticipate that will change fairly soon. For American consumers, Vonage is the better choice, and by next year I'm sure I'll have made the switch.
While my experimentation this past week has been fun, it has become clear to me that the real hype is about VoIP, and for good reason. Broadband telephony offers consumers a better, cheaper, and more versatile service than "classic" telephony. This technology is so easy, and so useful, it's bound to become the Next Big Thing. But that's only if, as I mentioned last week, more homes in the U.S. had a broadband connection!
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Saturday, April 16, 2005
U.S. Lagging on Broadband
"Today, nearly all Japanese have access to 'high-speed' broadband, with an average connection time 16 times faster than in the United States - for only about $22 a month."
Many people, myself included, automatically assume that the United States is on the forefront of the Internet revolution in terms of technological development and use. While this is true in many cases, Thomas Friedman's wake-up call in Friday's New York Times shows that when it comes to high-speed Internet connections, we are being outstripped by countries like Japan, South Korea, and even China.
This news is particularly discouraging because it was only about a year ago when, in the early stages of the presidential campaign, Bush was touting affordable broadband access for all Americans by 2007. A very ambitious goal, and despite certain deregulatory actions taken to facilitate the expansion of broadband, this vision seems far from being realized. The problem is not limited to rural or poor areas. Even back home in my suburban Maryland neighborhood, DSL access is unavailable, and cable-modem Internet service runs around $50 per month.
Telecom companies should be thinking more aggressively about expanding and improving broadband service. The government should be encouraging this, and providing incentives to these companies for the proliferation of high-tech solutions. Or, the government itself could take on some of the burden. The city of Philadelphia recently announced that it will spend $15 million to create a city-wide wireless Internet zone, providing access on the cheap to subscribers for under $20 per month. This kind of tech-savvy action captures my imagination. It's a perfect example of the kind of active approach we should be taking in order to make sure that in the digital age, we are not followers.
A quote in the article about Philly's Wi-Fi plans said "in today's world having access to the Internet is as important as keeping your house or feeding your family." A hyperbolic statement, yes, but the importance of connectedness--especially in the vastly more competitive world Tom Friedman envisions--is hard to understate. The cost of making advances on these technological fronts may seem expensive now, but it is an investment in the future that is definitely worth it. (Surely we don't want our chief contribution to the "Information Superhighway" be the "emoticon"?) The U.S. may have fallen a little behind the curve, but with our infrastructure and innovation, there's no reason we have to be riding the coattails of East Asia when it comes to the Internet revolution!
Many people, myself included, automatically assume that the United States is on the forefront of the Internet revolution in terms of technological development and use. While this is true in many cases, Thomas Friedman's wake-up call in Friday's New York Times shows that when it comes to high-speed Internet connections, we are being outstripped by countries like Japan, South Korea, and even China.
This news is particularly discouraging because it was only about a year ago when, in the early stages of the presidential campaign, Bush was touting affordable broadband access for all Americans by 2007. A very ambitious goal, and despite certain deregulatory actions taken to facilitate the expansion of broadband, this vision seems far from being realized. The problem is not limited to rural or poor areas. Even back home in my suburban Maryland neighborhood, DSL access is unavailable, and cable-modem Internet service runs around $50 per month.
Telecom companies should be thinking more aggressively about expanding and improving broadband service. The government should be encouraging this, and providing incentives to these companies for the proliferation of high-tech solutions. Or, the government itself could take on some of the burden. The city of Philadelphia recently announced that it will spend $15 million to create a city-wide wireless Internet zone, providing access on the cheap to subscribers for under $20 per month. This kind of tech-savvy action captures my imagination. It's a perfect example of the kind of active approach we should be taking in order to make sure that in the digital age, we are not followers.
A quote in the article about Philly's Wi-Fi plans said "in today's world having access to the Internet is as important as keeping your house or feeding your family." A hyperbolic statement, yes, but the importance of connectedness--especially in the vastly more competitive world Tom Friedman envisions--is hard to understate. The cost of making advances on these technological fronts may seem expensive now, but it is an investment in the future that is definitely worth it. (Surely we don't want our chief contribution to the "Information Superhighway" be the "emoticon"?) The U.S. may have fallen a little behind the curve, but with our infrastructure and innovation, there's no reason we have to be riding the coattails of East Asia when it comes to the Internet revolution!
Friday, April 15, 2005
Nats Win Home Opener
Recently, my academic schedule has unfortunately kept me away from this site for far too long. But now I'm back, and bringing good news of great personal importance: The boys are back in town. Professional baseball celebrated its return to the nation's capital tonight after more than thirty years, when the Washington Nationals hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks at RFK Stadium. And I'm proud to say that, thanks to eBay, I was in attendance at this historic game.
No, nothing could have stopped me this night. Not the suffocatingly crowded Metro trains, nor the agonizingly slow security check to get in, nor the ridiculously overpriced food and merchandise. Tonight, the surprisingly successful (thus far) Nats defeated the DBacks as Livan Hernandez took a 1-hit shutout into the 9th inning. The home crowd was raucous. The environment was, in my opinion, better than what Baltimore offers. RFK, previously much-maligned, seemed to satisfy everyone I heard tonight that it was a perfectly serviceable venue.
Best of all, with a 6-4 record, these former Expos find themselves in an unfamiliar position at the top of the NL East. Time to get on the bandwagon, folks. Baseball is here in DC--and it is rockin'!
No, nothing could have stopped me this night. Not the suffocatingly crowded Metro trains, nor the agonizingly slow security check to get in, nor the ridiculously overpriced food and merchandise. Tonight, the surprisingly successful (thus far) Nats defeated the DBacks as Livan Hernandez took a 1-hit shutout into the 9th inning. The home crowd was raucous. The environment was, in my opinion, better than what Baltimore offers. RFK, previously much-maligned, seemed to satisfy everyone I heard tonight that it was a perfectly serviceable venue.
Best of all, with a 6-4 record, these former Expos find themselves in an unfamiliar position at the top of the NL East. Time to get on the bandwagon, folks. Baseball is here in DC--and it is rockin'!
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