Skype yesterday introduced a new pricing structure whereby they are rolling out new domestic calling plans for two dozen countries, where users will pay a monthly subscription fee as well as a connection fee but will not be held accountable for any per-minute charges.
The so-called Skype Pro plans will be priced at approximately $6.50US.
The per-call SkypeOut connection fee for these calls within a given country to a regular phone or mobile device will come in around 5 cents per connection.
I find it ironic that in the day that Skype is rolling out new PRICING schemes, AT&T announced something that essentially costs NOTHING.
The AT&T Unity plan, goes into effect this Sunday, January 21, and according to the AT&T announcement, it will bring together home, business and wireless calling and enables a calling community of more than 100 million AT&T wireless and wireline phone numbers.
That would make this the largest such unlimited calling community in the U.S.
Here’s the corporate pitch:
AT&T Unity customers can call or receive calls for free from any AT&T wireless and wireline phone numbers nationwide without incurring additional wireline usage fees or using their wireless Anytime minutes. In addition to free domestic calling to and from AT&T numbers, the AT&T Unity plan includes wireless service with unlimited nights and weekend minutes, and a package of Anytime Minutes.
Skype is figuring out ways to get current customers to pay more, and AT&T is figuring out ways to entice new customers through free offers.
I don’t know. It just struck me as worthy of a mention.
On another note, I’m off this Sunday to the year’s first major IP Communications event: Internet Telephony Conference & EXPO (ITEXPO) which is taking place in Ft. Lauderdale, FL next Tuesday–Friday. If you live here in the Northeast, you realize that the timing could not be better. Having enjoyed late Autumn weather through the first week of January, winter showed up this week, with chilly temps (a low of 17 the other day) and a light dusting of snow last night into today. Nothing major, mind you, but enough that I don’t mind getting on a plane to sunny South Florida in 2 days.
We’ll be showcasing lots of excellent content in our conferences and on our exhibit hall floor; for a deeper explanation, check out our ITEXPO site, which contains all the details you need to know.
I hope to see you down there.
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Nora Volkow, lead author of the study