VOIPing

Initially appeared on doktorko.com 9/21/2005.

There's been a lot of hype lately about the Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (aka VOIP).  A few weeks ago, Google launched Google Talk, a stripped-down voice chat program; Skype and Vonage have been around for a while; and more recently, Yahoo has been promoting Yahoo Messenger With Voice (supposedly an "upgrade," but i'm sure that the voice chat function has been around for longer than a few weeks).  Anyway, last week i decided to give these a try and find out what all the fuss was about.  I downloaded Yahoo Messenger and called my cousin T (identity withheld for her protection) back home.

The call to the Philippines lasted almost an hour.  Overall, there was a lag of 1-2 seconds between statements, but otherwise the audio was crystal clear.  IMO, it sounded exactly the same as my usual phone card connection without the annoying crackles and tendency to drop the call.

My verdict?  If you are a cheapo (like i unabashedly am) and wanted to talk to somebody Long Distance, this is definitely a viable option.  It is a good alternative to talking to somebody back in the Philippines, as the quality is the same or even slightly better than a phone card's.  Plus, you can leave voice mail.

The downside?  Right now, it's only computer-to-computer (i think Skype and Vonage can make calls to actual phones, but i'm to cheap to try those two out).  Also, both parties need to have a broadband connection, so i guess the cost-effectiveness would depend on how many calls you make.  A broadband connection in the RP costs roughly 2000 pesos a month, which is around $40-50.  If you spend almost this much on phone cards anyway, consider spending that money on getting your folks a decent internet connection.  What if they have the connection already?  Then download the software and stop springing for the phone cards, you dolt.

The cheapest option would be to have a predetermined time when you want to talk and just have the other person stroll over to Netopia (or a similar Internet Cafe), where using the broadband connection usually costs around PhP35/hour.  Use the communal mike (or bring your own - at least then you wouldn't have to smell other people's panis na laway).  Then you can have a decent conversation with your loved ones for less than the cost of a Happy Meal.