Google Voice discovered allowing pure VoIP calls

[YosemiteSam]

Google Voice users learned late Monday that the service now has a way of making purely Internet-based phone calls. Making a SIP call with a "sip:" prefix, the Google Voice phone number and @sip.voice.google.com skips the conventional phone network entirely, saving users cellphone minutes. Disruptive Telephony tested it and found that a call worked "great."

The development is relatively new and, according to Google's partner YATE (Yet Another Telephony Engine), was added on January 31 without any public mention.

Google hasn't publicized the addition, and it's not clear whether it wants to do so. Until Verizon backed away from earlier policies with 4G, it and many other carriers have actively blocked Skype. 3G lag and the limited capacity of the older networks have been officially blamed, although the FCC and critics have warned that it's likely for anti-competitive reasons to prevent cheaper calls and save users the need for a more expensive voice plan.

More officially supported pure VoIP Google Voice could lead to customers having the option of taking a call solely online but having a traditional phone number that anyone could reach without an Internet connection. Theoretically, it could also allow for higher-quality audio similar to Verizon's 4G calling. Android 2.3 already has support to make SIP calls directly from the contacts list instead of having to use an outside app such as Google Voice.

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[trickblue]

Can't you also do that with any phone in your home with that new Magic Jack device? Or have they released that yet.

Of course, you would have to have access to a WiFi network.

Things are certainly a'changin'...

 

[YosemiteSam]

Can't you also do that with any phone in your home with that new Magic Jack device? Or have they released that yet.

Of course, you would have to have access to a WiFi network.

Things are certainly a'changin'...

There is a new MagicJack device? I had one of the old ones. Their service was flaky, but I was able to take it to Europe and call back to the states with it. I hated that I had to have my computer on to use it though.

Currently, I just got SIP provider PhonePower and bought their $199 package for two years of phone service. You don't even have to buy the router, they will supply a small SOHO one that you can part behind your normal router. (or use as your primary)

I've only had my service down once in the last year. It was down for about an hour. I just used my cell during that time. It works just as good as my cable VoIP service was.

 

[trickblue]

There is a new MagicJack device? I had one of the old ones. Their service was flaky, but I was able to take it to Europe and call back to the states with it. I hated that I had to have my computer on to use it though.

Currently, I just got SIP provider PhonePower and bought their $199 package for two years of phone service. You don't even have to buy the router, they will supply a small SOHO one that you can part behind your normal router. (or use as your primary)

I've only had my service down once in the last year. It was down for about an hour. I just used my cell during that time. It works just as good as my cable VoIP service was.

I believe it was during CES I read that Magic Jack had created a device you can pair your cell phone with that converts the signal to VoIP when you have access to WiFi. It is legal as the WiFi network inside of your home is considered private...

That SIP service sounds pretty cool... looks like the cash cow that mobile phone service had become may take a hit...

 

[MonsterD]

So this update is just about direct support to mobile devices?

I remember reading about that trick to get free use by setting up Google Voice with an asterisk PBX(computer)+SIP, and I think one other program that was free, then paying a VoIP service to connect and you had free phone for anywhere.