You’ve all seen those commercials for MagicJack, and wondered whether it’s too good to be true. But this is one instance where the incredible claims are justified—it’s cheap, it works, and the voice quality is good. But what’s even more interesting is what MagicJack has in store for the very near future.
The company, after its recent merger with VocalTec, is getting ready to launch a femtocell product, which can be attached to any mobile phone. We still don’t know much about how it will be sold, but it’s likely it will be marketed in conjunction with a low-cost prepaid carrier. Tracfone comes to mind, just as a wild guess and a likely candidate.
There are still some in the industry who don’t want products like this to exist, and there is a substantial contingent who claim that it is “illegal” and have filed claims with the FCC. We can’t imagine how the FCC could block it—and in fact, it’s inevitable. VoIP over mobile phones and smartphones is just a no-brainer. It’s going to happen, and soon.
The benefit to such a product, especially over a prepaid network, is cost-savings. Of course, if you have one of those expensive unlimited calling plans, you’ll get very little incremental benefit from running VoIP on your mobile. But, if you’re like me, and buy “buckets” of prepaid minutes, you watch your calls—and VoIP could come in handy for keeping those costs down.
