The Great Skype Experiment

September 13, 2006 – 10:12 pm

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Are cellphones as we know them finished?

Will Netgear’s release of the Skype Wi-Fi phone rise up to destroy the traditional cellphone paradigm?

Am I going to tire of writing blog posts like this?

Probably not on all three counts.

But it is interesting to see someone challenging the status quo in the cellphone market. The potential problems facing it are, of course, legion. Wi-Fi, for starters, is not widely available and, from my experience, tends to be a more problematic method of network connection than just about all of the alternatives. And on top of that, security concerns are locking down more and more wireless networks, leaving only dedicated free hotspots as accessible calling areas, limited largely to urban areas, coffeeshops, and university campuses.

Nice in a stick-it-to-the-man sort of way, but useless for many of the things cellphones are good for, like emergency communication from areas that do not offer communication options. And it would suck for me, trying to talk to a client on my wireless headset while cruising down the freeway between Nowhere and You’re Kidding.

But, if it makes you happy, and you stay on campus all the time, then go on ahead, stick it to the man.

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