3G. Wireless Communication Solutions

Skype Wi-Fi VoIP phones already announced by four companies (SMC, Belkin, Netgear, Edge-Core), Skype is working with other manufacturers to produce dual-mode phones for later this year.

Skype current parnters for these GSM/ WiFi dual-mode phones include Nokia and Motorola. One of the issues still to be worked out is whether the dual-mode phones will be released SIM-free, or whether they’ll be able to work out deals with cellular providers. As this sort of Skype experience would be more seamless than some of the current efforts to run Skype on smart phones, including PDAs such as Palm. The key breakthrough is that they could also connect to a mobile network at other times.

This might have been a reference to mobile network 3, which at the end of this year will launch a “specific Skype service” allowing users to call other Skype users for free through their 3 handsets. However, 3’s service will be based through its 3G handsets rather than Wi-Fi, and will probably involve a monthly charge for the service.

While GSM isn’t going to be to everyone’s liking, this is the kind of step forward that is likely to catapult Skype to the top of the VoIP market share, regardless of service category, and help them earn their keep. (Remember that eBay purchased Skype for US$2.6 billion.) Hopefully they’ll be following up with similar announcements for other types of cellular networks.

More detail at Silicon.com

EQO Communications, a leading developer of presence-enabled calling and instant messaging solutions and services, today announced immediate availability of EQO Mobile for Skype on the Palm TREO 650 and Motorola ROKR, SLVR, and RAZR handsets. So far, EQO brings the number of EQO-supported handset models to more than 45, including some of the most popular devices from Nokia, Motorola, Palm, and Sony-Ericsson.

EQO Mobile for Skype lets users make and receive calls, send Instant Messages, and view presence information about their buddies over the Skype network. EQO is a plugin which runs on your computer, connecting your Skype user account to your mobile phone via EQO’s secure, always-on network. As long as EQO is running on your mobile phone and your computer, and Skype is still connected to the Skype network, you can easily use EQO software to keep in touch with your buddies as you move about on your mobile phone.

When you call a Skype buddy or another number through the EQO client, or someone calls you from Skype, EQO routes the call to your phone over your regular wireless voice service using SkypeOut. This means you can truly make and receive Skype calls from anywhere on your handset, without needing a highly advanced 3G mobile phone and without being connected to a high-speed wireless data network.

For more details of free Beta EQO(pronounced “echo”) here.