Posts Tagged ‘Mobile’
Using a ‘VoIP’ phone service is a good way of lowering the phone bill. It gets even more cheaper if you can use it with your computer or mobile.Let’s take the example of ‘Skype’, a downloadable Voip service and see how it can be used.
As a ‘VoIP’ service Skype offers free: software, audio and video calls on the network and text messaging. Skype can also be used to call people on their land line and mobile numbers. Here are some its features and drawbacks.
Software Compatibility: It has great compatibility. You can use it with Mac, Linux, Windows, mobiles, ‘WiFi’ phones, cordless phones and I Phone. If you can’t leave your computer on to recieve calls, you can buy a stand alone phone with Skype in it and connect it with your internet connection.
Voice mail: Read your messages from anywhere in the world, store and listen later, personalize greeting messages.
Audio and Video Calls: With this feature, you can call your family, friends or business on the network for free. Similarly, it will not cost you anything to make video calls to people sharing the ’Skype’ network.
Outside Network Calls: For 2.95$/ month you can call within U.S and Canada and for 5.95$/ month you can select a country and make calls to your contacts over there. A world wide plan is also available for 12.95$/ month. Currently they are running a special promotion on 3 or 12 month subscriptions which gives you three months of service in the price of two.
Text Messages: You can type your text message using your keyboard and send the message through your ‘VoIP’ network, showing your own mobile number.
Personal Online Number: This feature is very useful if you have friends and family who do not use the same network. They can call you from their land-line or mobile and only pay their standard call rates. For example, your mother lives in Auckland and you are traveling to Melbourne. You could get a number that is connected to the network. So, when your mother calls you she only pays for the standard call charges.
Call Forwarding: You can receive your calls when you are offline and direct incoming calls to ring on your mobile or phone. If your friend is offline but has activated call forwarding you can reach them when they are away from their computer.
Long Distance Calling: You can call world wide to many countries or choose a specific country and call there with the ‘Skype’ packages.
Note: You can make calls via Skype with the in-built speakers and microphones found on most computers but a headset will give much better audio quality.
Drawbacks
A product like ’Skype’ is competition for AT&T. So, ‘iPhone’ users cannot use the Skype service on high-speed 3G wireless network of ‘AT&T’ ; they can use the ‘Skype’ service only at ‘Wi-Fi’ hot spots.
To my knowledge, customer support staff is not a plus point of Skype. You cannot transfer your existing number to the network, but you can get a new number in your area code (it may take more than one try). 911 is not available with Skype.
Zambia – Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband
Zambia’s GDP growth has remained almost unaffected by the global economic crisis. After briefly dipping to 4.5% in 2009 it is expected to return to the level of between 5% and 6% p.a. from 2010 which it has enjoyed consistently over the past six years. The country’s telecommunications market is dominated by mobile network operator Zain (formerly Celtel) which has a market share of almost 75%. However, the fastest subscriber growth is currently seen by the runner-up, MTN (formerly Telecel) from South Africa. The average revenue per user (ARPU) on the other hand has dropped sharply in 2009 after it had already reversed its long-term downtrend in 2008. ( http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=129463&rt=Zambia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband.html )
The third competitor in the mobile market is Cell Z, the mobile division of the national telco, Zamtel. Zamtel has been performing poorly in the mobile as well as the fixed-line sector, despite monopoly rights in the latter, including the international gateway. This has also limited growth in the Internet and broadband sector, with some of the highest prices for international bandwidth on the continent. The monopoly on the international gateway and restrictions on VoIP Internet telephony are set to fall under the new ICT Act of 2009, which will make international calls and borderless international roaming much more attractive. The Act will also establish a new unified licensing regime which will enable more competition in all market sectors from existing and new players. With penetration rates in all sectors still below regional averages, the growth prospects are excellent.
Since 2009 mobile handsets are being manufactured in Zambia for the domestic market as well as export.
A majority stake in Zamtel is up for privatisation in the first half of 2010. One of its key assets is a national fibre network that is currently being rolled out, including connections to neighbouring countries which will provide transit links to international submarine fibre optic cables off the African east and west coasts. However, alternative domestic fibre is already being rolled out by three other companies, and one of them has recently completed the country’s first ever connection to an international submarine fibre optic cable, SAT-3/WASC.
Alternative international fibre links will go live in 2010 and 2011, reducing the dependency on a single provider, which will first and foremost benefit the broadband sector with cheaper international bandwidth. Zamtel’s expensive ADSL service is still dominating this sector, albeit at a very low level. Competition exists from several ISPs which have rolled out WiMAX wireless broadband networks.Mobile data services using GPRS and EDGE are available but have remained expensive under the current conditions. Third-generation (3G) technology rollouts are in progress, including 3.5G HSPA.
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It can be minefield out there, trying to pick the perfect phone. So, let me help you make the decision. Let me help you get it clear, in your head, exactly what you want from a phone, and therefore, what will be the perfect phone for you.
First up, you have to ask yourself: what is you want from your phone? Do you want a camera phone, to snap away for hours? Or do you want a music phone, to replace your mp3 player? Or maybe you want a smartphone, a phone that will do everything except give you a back rub after a hard day’s work? Or maybe, just maybe, you want a simple, basic phone, that will just give you the calls and texts you need, without all the frills anbd frivolous bits you don’t need!
So, once you’ve decided exactly why you want a mobile phone, then you need to sit down and think about what spec you’re looking at. It’s all well and good saying, ‘I want a camera phone,’ and then going out and buying the first one you see. You need to compare costs versus features. So, if you want a camera phone, you have to think, ‘Do I want a top-end 5 megapixel phone, to get photos as good as my digital camera, or will a cheaper 3 megapixel camera phone do?’
Likewise, if you’re looking at buying a music phone, you need to stop and think before wading in with your wallet out. Ask yourself whether you want to entirely replace your mp3 player, and if so, check out different phones. Do you want to get one that has masses of built in memory, or is that too big a phone (that is, you don’t have enough music to fill it), and if so, will a cheaper phone that uses memory cards do? With smartphones, it’s slightly more complicated. Because they’re so packed with features, it’s hard to choose between them… but then, if you’re in the market for a smartphone, you probably know exactly what you want!
Once you’ve decided exactly what spec you want your new mobile phone to be, then it’s time to budget for it. Set yourself a price range, and stick to it! Find a phone that does what you want within your price range. There are a wealth of mobile phones out there, and even mobile broadband, but once you narrow your search down to what you realy want, and what you can afford, you’ll find it gets a lot easier!