How does Skype differ from FWD, which is also a free software download and free phone service?
Free World Dialup relies on centralized infrastructure: In other words, lots of servers both to maintain the directory of users and to route calls. That means that their costs scale with their user base. It’ll be hard for them to provide top quality as they grow. What other differences does a P2P telephone system have over others out there? P2P telephony just works. Our research shows that more than 50 percent of broadband users are behind NAT (network address translation) and firewalls and can therefore not make full use of VoIP solutions that are based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). The P2P technology we use makes it possible to connect and receive calls, as long as you can make an outgoing Internet connection. People expect telephony to be simple. You pick up the handset; you get a dial tone; you call. That kind of simplicity is our benchmark. Do you think VoIP will ever become a primary phone service? Many don’t think so, because when the power goes out, so do VoIP phones. A
