Mobile calls for a dime

COMMUNICATION

The one next big thing in mobile telephony is effective Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls where calls begin on the mobile phone but are then transmitted over the internet to the destination point where it switches back to the phone network. The biggest advantage is obviously cost.

Skype is a leader of sorts here offering VoIP technology to be enabled directly on mobile handsets. What this means is that you hook on to the internet on Wi-Fi, enable Skype and then call away, to whichever number in whatever destination.

In theory this sounds good, except that it does not work all that smoothly, at least in the Indian context. And what I am proposing here goes a little beyond, as an additional feature perhaps and is likely to be a possible market opportunity.

I reckon you carry your mobile phone all the time. Now, instead of having a phone that struggles to switch between Wi-Fi and the traditional GSM network, imagine a phone that plugs into your internet-on computer at will. How will it connect? Well, it could be using a bluetooth connection or a simple wire link. Most phones already come with a USB wire link so as to allow loading of software or backing up data.

Then you dial a number (on your mobile phone) that goes via the Skype (or equivalent service) on the internet and connects up with your destination. You can do that without the mobile phone as well, right? Sure and the mobile is working mostly as an instrument. Then what's the big deal?

Well, the mobile phone is the instrument with which most calls are made or taken particularly on the move. And, as you know, India has more mobile phones than fixed lines. Second, India is not exactly entirely Wi-Fi country.

Imagine, instead of going to a payphone, I walk over to an internet kiosk, plug my mobile phone into a USB port (or Bluetooth linkage if possible) and start calling. This is happening in a way. Companies like Sify offer VoIP calling facility at their internet cafes. It is in any case, an `Indianised' product. But no mobile phones yet.

Obviously, there are some technical gaps here. However, they seem imminently addressable. Of course the mobile phone companies, particularly service providers, have to play along. And for it to work efficiently, the phones have to be manufactured to include such options.

Yet, it's all happening. Recently, Hutchison 3G announced a commercial VoIP service for mobile phones.

Nokia the manufacturer is launching the 6136, a phone that will in theory switch seamlessly between mobile and Wi Fi networks. This has been in the pipeline for some time, so its not exactly breaking news. The challenge is the India last mile as mentioned earlier.

(govindraj@business-standard.com)