12:42 AM CDT on Thursday, May 18, 2006

By WALT ZWIRKO / WFAA-TV

Years ago, Americans were told that nuclear power would generate electricity so efficiently that it would be too cheap to meter.

While that turned out to be a pipe dream, the concept comes closer to reality with 21st century Internet access.

Think about it; most of us now have a full-time, broadband, connection to the World Wide Web for about a dollar a day. No worries about how many pages we access, how many photos we look at, how many video clips we stream.

It's too cheap to meter.

So why can't this same concept apply to phone calls, too?

Now it does, thanks to Skype.

Skype is free software for your Windows, Mac or Linux computer that lets you bypass traditional phone lines so you can communicate by voice using your broadband Web connection.

"You can put a lot of information down that high speed connection," said Skype spokesman John Quain. "What they do is they digitize your voice; cut it up into little pieces; send it over the Internet really fast; put it all back together on the other end."

The technical name for this bit of digital prestidigitation is "voice over Internet protocol," or VOIP.

Skype is far from the only VOIP provider. Two years ago, I tested Vonage and AT&T CallVantage service, both of which require a hardware adapter plugged into your Internet connection.

The box lets you plug a standard telephone, and the net result is close to traditional phone service.

Skype, on the other hand, requires no extra hardware (other than a speaker and a microphone); it is software-based.

That makes it a little "geekier" to use: dialing from an on-screen keypad and speaking into a microphone instead of a telephone handset.

But you may be willing to overlook the extra effort to dial a number when you learn that Skype is now offering free phone calls to any number in the U.S. and Canada.

That's truly an amazing value for businesses and individuals.

You're already paying for a broadband Internet connection; now you can "piggyback" outgoing phone calls over the same connection at no additional charge.

Skype works best if you have a headset attached to your PC; there's less potential for echo. You should be able to find a basic headset for $20 or less. Skype even offers a starter kit with an earbud and microphone (and the required software) for $10 at its Web site and at RadioShack.

Skype also offers several telephone-style handsets that plug into your computer's USB port.

And notebook users take note: Skype's use isn't limited to home computers. "If you travel a lot, wherever you plug in your Internet connection—if you're using a voice over IP service—it calls straight to where you are, and that's very handy," Quain said. "It's still a lot less expensive, and it means that you're sort of available to your clients for a lot of these small businesses."

Skype's free calling plan is planned to last at least through the end 2006. You will have to pay if you want to get the SkypeIn service, which provides you with a phone number that people can use to contact you via Skype.

Skype also makes it clear that its service cannot be used in an emergency, because outgoing calls don't identify the location of the caller the way traditional phone calls do. Vonage, CallVantage and some other VOIP services do provide this location information.

So how can Skype get away with offering free phone calls?

The company (which is owned by eBay, the global Internet auction site) says the "structure and efficiency" of the U.S. telecommunications industry makes it all possible.

I think it's more of a calculated gamble to win computer users over to this new twist on making phone calls; a gamble that could pay off if Skype can achieve the same status in Internet phone service that eBay already has in auctions.

Watch Computer Corner every Wednesday on News 8 Midday at noon, or online any time.

E-mail askwalt@wfaa.com