Knowing Digest readers' interest in VoIP and Skype, I thought you might like to see the item we published in our free email newsletter, Global Telecoms Business Top 5 Daily, yesterday. Incidentally, if anyone wants to get on our mailing list, drop me an email directly. It goes out at around 12.30 UK time, 7.30am ET, Mon-Fri.
Alan Burkitt-Gray Editor, Global Telecoms Business snipped-for-privacy@euromoneyplc.com tel +44
20 7779 8518 or +1 212 224 3880Skype launches real phone numbers at Eur30 a year
Peer-to-peer phone operator Skype is beta-testing its SkypeIn service, offering customers real phone numbers from 30 area codes in the US as well as London and Hong Kong, plus non-geographic French numbers. Customers can buy up to three numbers for their Skype account at Eur30 (about $40) a year each, with no charges for incoming calls and with free voicemail.
There's been no formal announcement of any launch, but details have just appeared on the company's site, with the warning: "Right now we're just testing the service, so there might be some kinks and it might not be entirely stable all the time."
Meanwhile Skype's CEO Niklas Zennstrm said yesterday that one million users have bought SkypeOut, enabling them to call regular phone numbers around the world at Eur0.017 a minute. The minimum pre-pay amount is Eur10.