New Internet phone cut long distance bills

Imagine being able to talk to anyone, anywhere in the world without having to worry about running up a long-distance phone bill. With newly developed software, it is possible to make phone calls over the Internet with an Internet connection, a sound card, speakers and a microphone. Those who invest in this new technology only incur costs for equipment and the flat rate for the Internet connection. Internet phone software uses the networks that make up the Internet to transmit conversations, instead of the telecommunications networks used by long distance companies. The technology works by sending digital waves describing the voice of the person on the other end rather than transmitting an analog signal, or sound waves, like phone companies do. According to Wharton sophomore Melissa Ulbrich, who uses Internet phone software to talk to her boyfriend at Duke University, both parties need to have the same brand of software. Ulbrich said she bought the software after her boyfriend began to use it. They have been communicating using Internet phone software for about two months. "It's great because you can talk for a long time without having to worry about expensive phone bills," she said. Wharton senior Richard Ahrens, who developed his own program for Internet voice communication, agrees that low cost is the major benefit of Internet phone software. "The advantage is that you pay a flat rate for an Internet connection and there is no per-minute or per-hour charge," he said. "You pay the same price to talk to anyone anywhere in the world for as long as you want." College freshman Ruth Lowenstein, who is from California, said she had never heard of Internet phone software, but added that she thought it would be useful for students whose families are far away. However, there are also disadvantages to Internet voice communication. Because the digitized voice is transmitted through the Internet rather than through telecommunications networks, it may have to pass through a number of servers before reaching the other computer. "The Internet is not really designed to support continuous data like speech," Ahrens said. "As a result, there can be breaks in speech and you can loose part of the message." Other problems include delays in transmission and freezes in the connection, according to Ulbrich. "The connection is generally good, but it doesn't feel as personal as talking on the phone," Ulbrich said. And Lowenstein voiced similar sentiments. "It would be cheaper to use an Internet phone than to call California, but it would also be more impersonal because you're talking over a computer," Lowenstein said.