Skype Revamps and Extends Unlimited Calling Subscription Plans
Skype Pro plans replaced by new flat rate unlimited international calling plans covering as many as 35 countries.
With a variety of subscriptions that allow users to have a single, monthly flat rate for calls to landlines in 34 countries as well as to mobile phones in several countries, Skype has replaced all its Skype Pro plans; Mexico is a 35th destination country included for calls originating within Canada/US/Mexico. Key points:
-
Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls worldwide remain free
- 28% of all Skype-to-Skype calls are now video calls
- No contracts required
- Choice of paying monthly, quarterly or annually
- No connection fees for calls to any destination included within any of these plans.
- Plans are incremental - for instance for calls originating in Canada or the U.S., users can select one of three plans: call only Canada/U.S.,, upgrade to add the Mexico feature and then upgrade to include landlines in an additional 32 countries worldwide.
- Ultimate determinant of including a call within one of these plans is the terminating (or destination) country. For instance a Canadian traveling to Mexico can call numbers within Canada/US/Mexico under their "Mexico" plan from their Mexican hotel's Internet connection. On the other hand a German on the Unlimited Europe plan could call back to any of 20 European countries from Canada but would have to pay SkypeOut rates for calls from an Internet connection within Canada/US to a Canada/US landline or mobile number (unless s/he upgraded to an Unlimited World plan while traveling)..
- Users can upgrade temporarily -- for instance, a Canadian or American traveling for two weeks to Europe can have an Unlimited World plan for the one month during which the travel occurs.
- All plans include free call forwarding and free call transfer (SkypeIn or Skype to SkypeOut) to numbers within the destination countries included in the user's plan.
- North American plans include a 50% discount for one SkypeIn number (three numbers if World plan); other plans - with higher cost than NA plans - include one free SkypeIn number (three numbers if World plan); .
- All plans include voice mail
- All plans include Skype To Go
- All plans are subject to a fair usage policy set at 10,000 minutes per month (equivalent to more than 5 hours of calling per day).
- A 33% discount applies to all 3-month or 12-month subscriptions taken out prior to June 1, 2008. Smaller discounts will apply for the 3-month and 12-month plans following this introductory period.
- Existing SkypePro and Skype Unlimited North America subscriptions will continue until their respective termination dates.
While we will direct you to the various calling plans once they are available on the Skype website here are some typical plans:
- Unlimited U.S. and Canada - Unlimited calls to landlines and mobile phones in the U.S. and Canada @ $2.95 per month.
- Unlimited Mexico - Adds unlimited calls to landlines in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey -- as well as up to 80% discounts off normal SkypeOut rates to landlines in the rest of Mexico (including the Mexican Riviera encompassing Cancun and Cozumel) and up to 40% off normal SkypeOut rates to all Mexico mobile phones -- @$5.95 per month
- Unlimited World - Adds to Unlimited Mexico unlimited calls to landlines in 32 additional countries @ $9.95 per month.
- Unlimited Country: unlimited calls to landlines in the European country of choice @ €2.95 or £1.95 per month
- Unlimited Europe: unlimited calls to landlines in 20 European countries @ €3.95 or £2.95 per month
- Unlimited World: unlimited calls to landlines in 34 countries worldwide @ €8.95 or £6.95 per month
Similar plans are available for users in Asia, Brazil and "Rest of World".
When we asked Don Albert, VP and GM for Skype North America, "why now?" he responded with three points:
- To extend the flat rate model internationally
- To generate incremental calling activity
- To encourage recruitment of new Skype users
From the "global" press release:
Stefan Oberg, VP & GM Telecoms at Skype said, “This move is a natural step for Skype. Skype was founded on the principle of making free voice and video calls available to people all around the world. And now we’re making it even easier for the Skype community to call their friends and family who are not yet on Skype. Our subscriptions give people an easy, hassle-free choice for how and when they want to catch up with their loved ones.”
Oberg continued, “For example if you live in London, for just €2.95 a month, you can call your grandmother in Poland, whenever you like, talk for up to six hours at a time, and not worry about how much it’s costing you. Your grandmother doesn’t need to understand the internet. You just use your Skype subscription to make the call and she just picks up the phone. And if you have friends and family spread over the world, you can reach them all for as little as €8.95 a month. When you combine the free features Skype is known for – from instant messaging to conference calling to video calls – with our subscriptions, it’s hard to find a better alternative.”
In summary these announcements:
- Extend unlimited flat rate calling plan options to 34 countries worldwide
- Add Mexico as an option for North American users - given the Mexican market where Telmex holds a "quasi-monopoly" on telecommunications, this is a major breakthrough for Skype.
- Elimination of connection fees for subscribers worldwide (previously only the Skype Pro for North America had no connection fees)
- Provide an opportunity to purchase three months calling for the price of two or 12 months calling for the price of 8 during the introductory period lasting to June 1, 2008.
- Simplifies the calling plan options over previous Skype Pro offerings
European countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Rest of World: Australia, Canada (l&m), China (l&m), Chile, Guam, Hong Kong (l&m), Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore (l&m), Taiwan, United States (l&m) -- (l&m: landlines and mobile)
Tags: Skype, Skype Calling Plans, Skype Pro, Stefan Oberg, Don Albert, Telmex
Powered by Qumana
Comments
Are they kidding? "Our subscriptions give people an easy, hassle-free choice for how and when they want to catch up with their loved ones". Just try to read the whole "key points" list and understand what, where and when you have to pay. Skype should really hire some smart people, not those morons..
Posted by: Alex | April 20, 2008 11:38 PM
More important, when is SkypeIn coming to Canada?
Posted by: Mark Evans | April 21, 2008 08:36 AM
Thanks, Jim, for explaining this new, smart move by Skype in the usual crisp and engaging way that you write. I'd also like to add that we at Evoca, Skype's web services recording partner, simplified our pricing last year, offering a $29.95/year Evoca Pro membership with 3 hours of recording storage time, instant online hosting or downloads, and even online ordering of transcriptions. Members can easily add more "buckets" of 3 hours of recording time for $9.95/year. Anyone can try our services with a Free membership of 15 minutes of recording storage time. We just got some terrific coverage in the Financial Times and the British Airways in-flight magazine, but there's nothing like getting heard about in the Skype Journal, "the" place to read about Skype and its partners.
Posted by: Murem Sharpe | April 22, 2008 09:55 AM
So the question becomes...should one stay with Skype Pro or switch to the new plan?
Posted by: Kevin Baggs | April 23, 2008 10:57 AM
The introduction of these new call plans from Skype should prove beneficial for the internet telephony / VoIP sector generally. Anything that helps to bring internet telephone calling further into the mainstream is very welcome.
May we mention that there are other options in the market that allow you to make unlimited calls for a flat rate such as Vonage. There are some significant differences between the services that Vonage and Skype provide that should be taken into consideration by anyone looking to make internet calls.
Firstly, call quality is a major advantage of using Vonage, our call quality is comparable with a regular landline service. Secondly, with Skype you have traditionally needed 1) your PC to be switched on to be able to make and receive calls, with Vonage you have never been reliant on your PC being switched on and 2) a headset or USB phone to be able to make internet phone calls, with Vonage you just plug in your existing home phone. Using your existing touch tone phone gives users the freedom to make unlimited calls in the way you want while you walk around your home or office.
You can find out more about Vonage at www.vonage.co.uk.
Posted by: Costas Kariolis | May 7, 2008 04:44 AM
Isnt vonage going bankrupt ?
Posted by: kc | May 20, 2008 11:43 AM
with the large caribbean population in the usa how come there is no package plan for that region I am sure it will be proffitable
Posted by: bart smith | June 6, 2008 04:21 AM
Does anyone know if Skype still charges a connection fee for forwarded called even if you have a subscription. I ask because with their old subscription model they explicitly said that they did.
Posted by: frad | June 16, 2008 04:04 PM