Skype and Netgear unveil standalone Wi-Fi phone

Skype and Netgear unveil standalone Wi-Fi phone
Skype and Netgear yesterday announced the arrival of the world's first Wi-Fi phone designed to work over the international VoIP (voice over IP) network.

The product does not require a PC, cables or headphones, and users will be able to use it straight out of the box on any wireless network after entering a username and code.

The phone will allow users to make global phone calls free of charge, regardless of geography, and is expected to become available at some point in the first quarter of 2006.

Pricing will also be announced then.

Netgear chief executive Patrick Lo expressed optimism on the consumer benefits the technology could bring.

"We will free people from the inability to call people around the world because it's too expensive," he said.

Skype is the first to offer such a service free of charge. It plans to create revenue through premium features like SkypeOut, and voicemail and call forwarding services.

Mr Lo indicated that the product will initially be aimed at consumer rather than corporate markets.

"The business community will require more upscale [devices]," he said. "You have to be able to roam between access points."