new irish provider skytel

sirlinux

New irish voip provider mentioned this morning on enn, www.skytel.ie prices look pretty good and they do 1800/1850 serviceswhich might be good for business people out there.

paulm17781

Interesting. Competition now...

fisab

Great to have competition alright and their packages seem better value than blueface- but they dont seem to offer a local number (01,021). 076 is fine but its easier to give out a local number to people.

iano

sirlinux wrote:

New irish voip provider mentioned this morning on enn, www.skytel.ie

Hopefully the quality of proof reading on their website is not an indication of their overall approach:

Skytel Networks' VoIP pland for businesses- is a service service that enables businesses to take advantage of our superior VoIP network and call costs ... Our network is resilience designed to give you piece of mind.

(from http://www.skytel.ie/business.asp)

Blaster99

I haven't compared the bundles, but Skytel is more expensive per minute than Blueface, at least on the destinations I checked. In the region of twice the price. I think Blueface is still king...

causal

OK after a brief schmoozal at their website I'm underwhelmed:

On their Basic Package, I trust they won't be assigning 076 numbers to people not resident in Ireland!!!

You don't have to live in Ireland to avail of our plans, you can get your friends and family to sign up abroad and benefit from Free calls between Skytel customers.

* Unlimited FREE calls to any Skytel customer where ever they are in the world. Not just Ireland.
* New 076 VoIP number allocated to you

Things I didn't like:
- minimum €10 purchase with pay-as-you-go
- prepay - you have to sign up for one year
- check out the sipura config page (user unfirendly)
- "Cystal clear quality calls" - a bit cheeky coz I doubt it's guaranteed.
- billing is to the nearest minute

But I do like:
- basic package has 250mins included

In fairness they've only launched so it'll take some time to get things ironed out - hopefully that ironing will bring improvements.
For now, I certainly didn't see anything that would justify recommending them over blueface.

causal

Eglinton

iano wrote:

Hopefully the quality of proof reading on their website is not an indication of their overall approach:
(from http://www.skytel.ie/business.asp)

Well said Iano. That is truly dreadful.

paulm17781

Blaster99 wrote:

I haven't compared the bundles, but Skytel is more expensive per minute than Blueface, at least on the destinations I checked. In the region of twice the price. I think Blueface is still king...

You get more free minutes with the skytel one. As yet that wouldn't convince me to change.

medO

Whatever about their tariff, per-minute billing, etc. they at least do give the set-up for at least one VoIP device...

http://www.skytel.ie/sipura.asp

Most of the people who run VoIP services across the world seem to ignore this not so minor issue at considerable cost to themselves (in terms of one-on-one support time cost and people who just get pissed off and give up on VoIP).

All it takes is to give idiot proof instructions for the main brands.... Sipura, Cisco, Snom....

medO

Cabaal

I've updated the sticky of VoIP providers.,,,

Seems Skytel are offering the Sipura for €95 (http://www.skytel.ie/how.asp) this is significantly cheaper then what blueface are offering it for and the whole "Crystal clear quality calls" is frankly abit much, not even Vodafone or O2 can claim such a thing

Other then that and other comments noted here the site looks well.

medO

Cabaal wrote:

I've updated the sticky of VoIP providers.,,,
not even Vodafone or O2 can claim such a thing

What do you mean? Vodafone or O2 are bottom of the heap. They are far worse than landline PSTN or ISDN calls, and are far worse than a Skype to Skype or Skype to landline call. There is a problem with Skype to Vodafone and O2, and one can guess where that lies!

medO

Cabaal

medO wrote:

What do you mean? Vodafone or O2 are bottom of the heap. They are far worse than landline PSTN or ISDN calls, and are far worse than a Skype to Skype or Skype to landline call. There is a problem with Skype to Vodafone and O2, and one can guess where that lies!

medO

I meant that the claim "Crystal clear quality calls" is abit much, I've never heard of a mobile or PSTN line operator ever claim that so how can a VoIP operator claim it?
Improved quality yes, but claiming its crystal clear is another thing as I see such a claim to be somewhat misleading to customers.


And since nobody has posted it here's the enn.ie story

:INTERNET & TELECOMS

Skytel launches residential VoIP
Wednesday, June 08 2005 by Deirdre McArdle

Wexford telecoms firm Skytel has announced its entrance into the residential voice over internet protocol market in Ireland.

Skytel currently delivers telecom services including carrier pre-select, calling cards, international call-back, and mobile services. The firm launched its VoIP (voice over internet protocol) service just last week and says it has been signing up five people per day since then.

Homeowners signing up for Skytel's VoIP service will be able to choose from three packages. There is the basic package for EUR9.99 per month for 250 minutes of local, national and international calls; the unlimited Ireland package for EUR19.99 per month, which allows users to make unlimited local and national calls; and the unlimited world package for EUR29.99 per month, which allows users to make unlimited local, national and international calls.

In addition, all packages include free calls between Skytel customers. On the flip side none of the packages include mobile calls but Garrett McElroy, general manager of Skytel, told ElectricNews.Net that mobile calls will be charged at 18.5 cent per minute.

Like all VoIP services, Skytel's offering takes advantage of broadband internet services and IP (internet protocol) networking, the standard upon which the internet is based. IP phone calls are far less expensive to complete than traditional PSTN calls, a fact which consumers are now taking advantage of in huge numbers all over the world, thanks to the efforts of firms like Vonage, Skype, Blueface, VoIP Ireland and even many incumbent operators.

McElroy said demand among Skytel customers is highest for what he claims is Ireland's first package offering unlimited international calls. The firm, which is a large producer of calling cards predominantly used for international calls, says it has learned a lot from its 15,000 calling card customers. "We definitely think we have first mover advantage in this particular area and we're hoping to clean up in it," said McElroy.

The firm has tested its VoIP service in Ireland and has found that Irish broadband users are "ready for VoIP", said McElroy. "At this stage there is a big enough base of broadband users for us to target," he added.

Looking to the future, Skytel will be launching a wholesale DSL product, which McElroy says is "ready to go." The firm also aims to roll out a wireless broadband network within the next six months.

The firm currently employs five people at its office in Wexford and the main switch in Dublin. McElroy says the firm is currently in the process of hiring three more people with this figure expected to rise as demand increases.

WillieFlynn

Cabaal wrote:

Seems Skytel are offering the Sipura for €95

It looks like the Sipura 2000 which is slightly cheaper than the 2100 which blueface sells. The main advantage of the 2100 is that it gives priority to VoIP over your coumputers data traffic.

However for most people the Sipura 1001 would be fine and it is cheaper again.

Willie.

secret_squirrel

causal wrote:

I trust they won't be assigning 076 numbers to people not resident in Ireland!!!

Whats the issue with this? I have a coupla UK voip numbers - why shouldnt they be able to get an irish one if they want their irish friends to get off the Irish PSTN network ASAP in the call routing?

causal

Quoting from the blueface Terms of Service

Geographic Numbers:
- Customers purchasing products that include Irish geographic PSTN numbers acknowledge that they are normally resident in the Irish geographic area code that the number is requested for. It is in contravention of the Irish Communications Regulatory body to subscribe to a geographic PSTN number if you are not a normal resident of Ireland.
- Customers purchasing products that include Ireland 076 prefix VoIP numbers acknowledge that they are normally resident in Ireland. It is in contravention of the Irish Communications Regulatory body to subscribe to an Irish 076 prefix VoIP number if you are not an Irish resident.

hth,
causal

causal

medO wrote:

Whatever about their tariff, per-minute billing, etc. they at least do give the set-up for at least one VoIP device...

Fair enough (and that is poor show) - but I'd wager Skytel will get a lot of support calls from people trying to figure out the setup - I'm talking about the ATA here, the X-Lite setup they provide is ok.

Blueface provide muliptple device configurations and they also custom setup your hardware for you if you buy from them.

causal

paulm17781

secret_squirrel wrote:

Whats the issue with this? I have a coupla UK voip numbers - why shouldnt they be able to get an irish one if they want their irish friends to get off the Irish PSTN network ASAP in the call routing?

You are only alowed to have an Irish number if you reside in Ireland. Doesn't matter if we agree, that is the rule.

aaronc

paulm17781 wrote:

You are only alowed to have an Irish number if you reside in Ireland. Doesn't matter if we agree, that is the rule.

It was pointed out to me recently that the wording of the directive regarding who can be allocated 076 numbers differs from the one discussed in earlier ComReg consultation papers. The directive regarding issuing 076 numbers from http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg04103.pdf is:

The number-holder must normally be resident in Ireland or otherwise establish genuine and specific reasons why a number or numbers from the Irish numbering plan should be allocated (e.g. a genuine and strong association with Ireland, current or historical).

Aaron

MartMax

aaronc wrote:

It was pointed out to me recently that the wording of the directive regarding who can be allocated 076 numbers differs from the one discussed in earlier ComReg consultation papers. The directive regarding issuing 076 numbers from http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg04103.pdf is:


Aaron

out of topic... so say in few years time... i'm going back to my home country for good, can i keep my 076 no justifying that i was a resident, maintaining contact with fellow irish friends, etc... genuine i guess but sounds too casual.

Blaster99

In reality, who's gonna know and who's gonna check? Everyone just wants to make money at the end of the day. Those regulations tend to come from people with nothing better to do than to dream up crap to put in documents.

causal

Blaster99 wrote:

In reality, who's gonna know and who's gonna check? Everyone just wants to make money at the end of the day. Those regulations tend to come from people with nothing better to do than to dream up crap to put in documents.

A consumer chancing his arm is one thing;
otoh IF (and I mean IF) a VoIP provider is giving 076 numbers to anyone and everyone then I'd expect them to be reprimanded. Mind you I don't know what the punishment is, if any, for the provider. But if I was a competitor I'd be blowing the whistle left, right and centre.

causal

Blaster99

The way those regulations are written, they can't be enforced in a meaningful way so nobody is going to care. And I can't think of any reason why a competitor would care either or care enough to do anything about it and risk rocking the boat.

secret_squirrel

Tis a bit of a joke regulation when you could quite easily buy an Irish mobile sim and use it out of the country. The only thing stopping you is the cost.

medO

causal wrote:

Quoting from the blueface Terms of Service
causal

The Blueface wording is not entirely correct.

According to Comreg 0532a "any reasonable connection with Ireland" (eg family or business etc) is sufficent. One doesn't have to live in the country as such.

(Note 47, page 59)

medO

medO

secret_squirrel wrote:

Tis a bit of a joke regulation when you could quite easily buy an Irish mobile sim and use it out of the country. The only thing stopping you is the cost.

Absolutely. There is a cost also for anyone using a geographic or 076 number (ie at least EUR 10 per month).

medO

medO

secret_squirrel wrote:

Whats the issue with this? I have a coupla UK voip numbers - why shouldnt they be able to get an irish one if they want their irish friends to get off the Irish PSTN network ASAP in the call routing?

Why not indeed. With SkypeIn you can get up to three phone numbers in the US, the Scandinavian countries and England irrespective of where you live.

ComReg is effectively blocking Skype from offering numbers to Irish subscribers by requiring Skype to set up a place of business in Ireland as well! If every country required Skype "to be resident" there, Skype would probably not exist.

medO

Cabaal

I was walking home from work this evening and noticed a billboard with a O2 advert on it offering "Crystal clear call quality nationwide" so I guess Skytel can say it since mobile and PSTN providers can now

medO

Cabaal wrote:

I was walking home from work this evening and noticed a billboard with a O2 advert on it offering "Crystal clear call quality nationwide"

What does "crystal clear call quality" mean in the real world? It is certainly difficult to find in Cork (or any other) Irish city centre location at virtually any time of day. The Irish mobile networks have lost control of the spectrum they have been allocated. The situation is particularly acute in Cork with the growth of GSM traffic over the past year or so.

Virtually every cellsite is grossly over-loaded. The country is suffering from third world, grossly over-priced mobile phone networks.

ComReg should be given 90 days to sort the matter out or shut them down.


medO

causal

medO wrote:

The Blueface wording is not entirely correct.

Yes, in fairness Aaron already pointed that out himself, and their website has been updated accordingly

causal

medO

causal wrote:

Yes, in fairness Aaron already pointed that out himself, and their website has been updated accordingly

causal

The wording in 0532a (a 2005 document) is slightly different to that used by ComReg in 04103 (a 2004 document). I'd blame ComReg rather than Blueface. ComReg appear to me to be trying to strangle VoIP with regulations.

There is no material difference between VoIP and PSTN or ISDN - other than the former uses an IP platform to "switch" and transport call traffic. ComReg have made a feast of the VoIP regulatory issue, no doubt with the support of eircom and one or two of their "competitors".

medO

causal

I was perusing the Skytel website again and noticed some changes:

1) there is no requirement to sign a 12 month contract, you can do a 1 month rolling contract
2) you can elect to take a 12 month contract - and you get 1 month free
3) they have introduced a €15 referral bonus
4) they have introduced a free trial - no details unless you phone them

We've already noted the similarities between the vonage.co.uk and blueface.ie websites; now I think we can safely add skytel.ie to that list.

causal

rsynnott

causal wrote:

- "Cystal clear quality calls" - a bit cheeky coz I doubt it's guaranteed.
-

Oh, I'm sure they're as clear as Cystal, whatever that may be

causal

rsynnott wrote:

Oh, I'm sure they're as clear as Cystal, whatever that may be

Oops, I omitted the 'r' in crystal - thanks for pointing that out 8 days later you pedantic pick

causal