BiP-ing your way to cheaper phone calls

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is using the Internet to make voice calls. The most prominent service that uses VoIP is Skype. Nevertheless, another player is trying to make its stake into the local VoIP market. BC Net has introduced their BiP VoIP service with the USBiP, BiPBox, and MoBiP. The BiP service is a prepaid service that combines hardware and software to use the Internet to make voice calls from anywhere in the world.

Inside the box, you get the USBiP unit itself, a headset, and an instruction booklet. The headset looks any other mobile phone headset with a two-piece earphones and a mic. The USBiP unassumingly looks like any other USB stick except, clearly, the USBiP sticker and a small jack to fit in the headset.

What I as a matter of fact like about the USBiP is that the included software doesn’t need any installation. Upon inserting the USBiP stick, a dialog box pops up that will ask you if you want to run the USBiP application. Upon confirming, the application starts and all you need to do is log in with your credentials and you’re ready to start calls.

Those that have used other Voice over IP programs, just as Skype or MagicJack, will be familiar with the interface. Really, the application replicates the telephone with number pad as so then as being able to store contact numbers so that you won’t need to remember everyone’s phone number also as the sequence to dial in when making calls.

One feature that the USBiP has that the BiPBox doesn’t is the ability to make video calls. As long as you are calling another USBiP or MoBiP user which a camera, you will be able to see who you are talking to. Another feature of the USBiP is the ability for 5-way or 7-way video conferencing, such as long as the other parties are as well using USBiPs. As long as you are calling another person using a USBiP, MoBiP, or BiPBox, these calls are practically free of charge except of the monthly fee you already pay to get Internet access.

If you want a more permanent VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) solution, there is the BiPBox. Akin to a router, the BiPBox connects to your modem or router for Internet connectivity and at the time connect a regular phone to the BiPBox. A simple process of plug and play and when you pick up the phone, you will hear that satisfying dialtone. And just like using the USBiP, any calls to any other BiP hardware/software is free.

Using the either the USBiP or the BiPBox is like making an international call even if you’re just calling your neighbor. And just like making international calls you will be charged different rates when calling different countries.

As of this writing, the cheapest rate you will get is when calling the Unites States, Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore at only $0.02 or less than PhP1 per minute during making local calls cost $0.12 and $0.16 for landline and mobile phones respectively. That’s in broad outline PhP5 for landline and PhP7 for mobile phones. That’s or rather competitive against the rates of making calls from any of the local cellular telecoms.

The most important question is how it sounds when making calls. To test both devices, I used PLDT DSL with a download and upload speeds of 2.5Mbps and 768Kbps respectively. Afterwards a number of calls, the voice quality is excellent.