Low data rate voice app?

donelson · 26-05-2015, 19:44

Skype is blocked by Vodafone on my plan. This seemed curious until I found out how greedy skype voice is these days.

Is there a low data-rate VoIP voice chat app anyone can recommend?

ash45 · 26-05-2015, 19:51

whatsapp, FB messenger, google hangouts, Facetime (if apple to apple)

all do voice calls for free (wats apps about 69p a year after the first free period, not sure if any of these are high/low data rate but i dont think any are blocked i have called people on vodafone on whats app and it worked fine

Hope this helps Ash

c4rv · 26-05-2015, 20:04

You should be able to make reasonable voice only calls on a 50kb connection, so that is 3MB a minute. Apps in the previous post should all be able to do that.

engineermoore · 26-05-2015, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by donelson

Skype is blocked by Vodafone on my plan. This seemed curious until I found out how greedy skype voice is these days.

Is there a low data-rate VoIP voice chat app anyone can recommend?

I've used WhatsApp for around an hour of calls (I believe) and the app states it has only used around 8mb which is pretty phenomenal.

However, I would phone Vodafone and cause a disturbance if they blocked any legitimate app from running on my phone!

lightspeed2398 · 26-05-2015, 20:25

Are Vodafone even allowed to block stuff? Surely there are some net neutrality laws regarding that?

donelson · 26-05-2015, 20:49

Because I am on 500MB/month plan, they block Skype (and maybe others) because apparently Skype burns data like a b-stard.

Thanks for the help.

I would love to see a table of data rates for voice for all of those apps on iOS, Mac, Android and Windows.

natbike · 27-05-2015, 13:53

If you're serious about low bandwidth voice, use SIP with something like Pbxes (pbxes.org). Good connections using the GSM codec (13Kbit) or SPEEX and TCP (helps reduce battery drain) if your SIP client supports it.

Mark C · 27-05-2015, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by donelson

Because I am on 500MB/month plan, they block Skype (and maybe others) because apparently Skype burns data like a b-stard.

That's your problem, not VF's, the Telcos have some funny ideas about data.

Be thankful you're not in the UAE, the entire country blocks Skype I think ?

moox · 27-05-2015, 16:25

I'm pretty sure the Skype voice codec is itself fairly efficient.

The real reason why VoIP is sometimes blocked is revenue. Why would they want you to use VoIP when you can place the call over their network and give them money?

There is also the argument that VoIP over 3G is not always the best experience (prone to packet loss and huge jitter). VoLTE is VoIP over 4G of course, but it can be done properly with attention to quality of service to ensure it works well

Mark C · 27-05-2015, 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

I'm pretty sure the Skype voice codec is itself fairly efficient.

The real reason why VoIP is sometimes blocked is revenue. Why would they want you to use VoIP when you can place the call over their network and give them money?

There is also the argument that VoIP over 3G is not always the best experience (prone to packet loss and huge jitter). VoLTE is VoIP over 4G of course, but it can be done properly with attention to quality of service to ensure it works well

Yes, I recently had a superb quality three way Skype call via 4G (at my end), including screen sharing. It gobbled up about 200 megs in 45 mins though.

Jack_Wilson2 · 27-05-2015, 19:00

Got a better idea than you all...

(If it's a android device and I believe you can also get it on older platforms that use Symbian if you look around)

Unlock the phone if it's not already... Get a Pay as you Three UK sim card..

and download this application

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=585211

and you can use skype forever without ever topping up inside the app is proxy settings to bypass the network's data. (Obviously it does actually use data but it isn't consumed by your account through that app)

You can literally use it forever without ever topping up*

Skype on three has been discontinued but users with the apps which they don't ship devices anymore with can still use it.

http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-...,Case=obj(4076)

My skype phone S2X works still and this app worked perfectly fine in December last year.

mupet0000 · 27-05-2015, 19:31

Just tried that Skype on 3 app and was unable to login on any version of the app, I was using mobile data. Also your 2nd link doesn't work.

Jack_Wilson2 · 27-05-2015, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by mupet0000

Just tried that Skype on 3 app and was unable to login on any version of the app, I was using mobile data. Also your 2nd link doesn't work.

I did say 'this app worked perfectly fine in December last year'

It could well be that the app doesn't work to this date but it's worth a try and yeah the second link it didn't hyperlink the last ')' character.

However the skype phone S2X still appears to be working perfectly which is running Brew and signed me in.

Thine Wonk · 27-05-2015, 19:44

Why you'd want a 6 year old version of Skype that doesn't support video just so you can work around some data charges I don't know. Surely people just need to make sure they're on a suitable data package?

Jack_Wilson2 · 27-05-2015, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

Why you'd want a 6 year old version of Skype that doesn't support video just so you can work around some data charges I don't know. Surely people just need to make sure they're on a suitable data package?

The purpose of the post was strictly 'VOIP' a 6 year old version of skype is perfectly fine in my opinion... But if you want a faster and more efficient skype experience video included a newer phone and a 4G service will fit the user.

At the end of the day it's down to the user who wants either -

Best skype experience - Get a high end phone and a large fast data package

A phone which does the job as the OP wanted- and doesn't have any extra charges (Unless you want to call landlines and mobiles)

secretmsgs · 27-05-2015, 20:10

Facetime also tells you how much voice data you have used for every call, give a try

c4rv · 28-05-2015, 02:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by donelson

Because I am on 500MB/month plan, they block Skype (and maybe others) because apparently Skype burns data like a b-stard.

Thanks for the help.

I would love to see a table of data rates for voice for all of those apps on iOS, Mac, Android and Windows.

damm, If only there was some sort of facility to search the internet......

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA1...oes-skype-need

donelson · 28-05-2015, 04:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by c4rv

damm, If only there was some sort of facility to search the internet......

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA1...oes-skype-need

Very few apps tell the bandwidth needed or actually used.

For skype, there is a huge difference between 30 Kbps minimum and 100 Kbps recommended.

At the upper rate, Skype needs 45 Mbytes per hour apparently. However, Sky Broadband blocks Skype. I suppose only ten hours could be used very quickly.

Not sure if I can force Skype to use a lower data rate.

Still looking for Apps that are well-defined this way.

Aye Up · 28-05-2015, 05:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by donelson

However, Sky Broadband blocks Skype. I suppose only ten hours could be used very quickly.

What on earth has given you that impression?

Skype has always worked on Sky Broadband

donelson · 28-05-2015, 05:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aye Up

What on earth has given you that impression?

Skype has always worked on Sky Broadband

Whoops, meant to say Vodafone, not Sky. Sorry.

oilman · 28-05-2015, 08:40

just turn of cameras in Skype and it uses much less bandwith

donelson · 28-05-2015, 11:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by oilman

just turn of cameras in Skype and it uses much less bandwith

Yes, just making Voice call from iPhone. There is a separate button for video calls.

However when I do a voice call, Vodafone blocks it due to my price plan.

Thine Wonk · 28-05-2015, 13:02

Simple answer is don't give Vodafone your money if they are going to do such silly things!

engineermoore · 28-05-2015, 17:22

I found this online http://www.androidauthority.com/voic...arison-598541/

I don't agree with the result for whatsapp, it seems far too high compared to my usage however the other results may be useful

moox · 28-05-2015, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by engineermoore

I found this online http://www.androidauthority.com/voic...arison-598541/

I don't agree with the result for whatsapp, it seems far too high compared to my usage however the other results may be useful

If they're referring to kilobits (kb) then 12kbit/s is actually very low. 12kbyte/sec (kB) is rather high. They don't seem to make it clear what unit they're really using.

I'd prefer a measurement of bitrates anyway

26-05-2015, 19:44	#1
donelson Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: London Posts: 1,727	Low data rate voice app? Skype is blocked by Vodafone on my plan. This seemed curious until I found out how greedy skype voice is these days. Is there a low data-rate VoIP voice chat app anyone can recommend?

26-05-2015, 19:51	#2
ash45 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 336	whatsapp, FB messenger, google hangouts, Facetime (if apple to apple) all do voice calls for free (wats apps about 69p a year after the first free period, not sure if any of these are high/low data rate but i dont think any are blocked i have called people on vodafone on whats app and it worked fine Hope this helps Ash

26-05-2015, 20:04	#3
c4rv Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Essex Posts: 16,218	You should be able to make reasonable voice only calls on a 50kb connection, so that is 3MB a minute. Apps in the previous post should all be able to do that.

26-05-2015, 20:10	#4
engineermoore Forum Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 84	Quote: Originally Posted by donelson Skype is blocked by Vodafone on my plan. This seemed curious until I found out how greedy skype voice is these days. Is there a low data-rate VoIP voice chat app anyone can recommend? I've used WhatsApp for around an hour of calls (I believe) and the app states it has only used around 8mb which is pretty phenomenal. However, I would phone Vodafone and cause a disturbance if they blocked any legitimate app from running on my phone!

26-05-2015, 20:25	#5
lightspeed2398 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 1,325	Are Vodafone even allowed to block stuff? Surely there are some net neutrality laws regarding that?

26-05-2015, 20:49	#6
donelson Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: London Posts: 1,727	Because I am on 500MB/month plan, they block Skype (and maybe others) because apparently Skype burns data like a b-stard. Thanks for the help. I would love to see a table of data rates for voice for all of those apps on iOS, Mac, Android and Windows.

27-05-2015, 13:53	#7
natbike Forum Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 475	If you're serious about low bandwidth voice, use SIP with something like Pbxes (pbxes.org). Good connections using the GSM codec (13Kbit) or SPEEX and TCP (helps reduce battery drain) if your SIP client supports it.

27-05-2015, 16:22	#8
Mark C Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Hampshire Posts: 8,102	Quote: Originally Posted by donelson Because I am on 500MB/month plan, they block Skype (and maybe others) because apparently Skype burns data like a b-stard. That's your problem, not VF's, the Telcos have some funny ideas about data. Be thankful you're not in the UAE, the entire country blocks Skype I think ?

27-05-2015, 16:25	#9
moox Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 14,645	I'm pretty sure the Skype voice codec is itself fairly efficient. The real reason why VoIP is sometimes blocked is revenue. Why would they want you to use VoIP when you can place the call over their network and give them money? There is also the argument that VoIP over 3G is not always the best experience (prone to packet loss and huge jitter). VoLTE is VoIP over 4G of course, but it can be done properly with attention to quality of service to ensure it works well

27-05-2015, 16:36	#10
Mark C Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Hampshire Posts: 8,102	Quote: Originally Posted by moox I'm pretty sure the Skype voice codec is itself fairly efficient. The real reason why VoIP is sometimes blocked is revenue. Why would they want you to use VoIP when you can place the call over their network and give them money? There is also the argument that VoIP over 3G is not always the best experience (prone to packet loss and huge jitter). VoLTE is VoIP over 4G of course, but it can be done properly with attention to quality of service to ensure it works well Yes, I recently had a superb quality three way Skype call via 4G (at my end), including screen sharing. It gobbled up about 200 megs in 45 mins though.

27-05-2015, 19:00	#11
Jack_Wilson2 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom Posts: 561	Got a better idea than you all... (If it's a android device and I believe you can also get it on older platforms that use Symbian if you look around) Unlock the phone if it's not already... Get a Pay as you Three UK sim card.. and download this application http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=585211 and you can use skype forever without ever topping up inside the app is proxy settings to bypass the network's data. (Obviously it does actually use data but it isn't consumed by your account through that app) You can literally use it forever without ever topping up* Skype on three has been discontinued but users with the apps which they don't ship devices anymore with can still use it. http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-...,Case=obj(4076) My skype phone S2X works still and this app worked perfectly fine in December last year.

27-05-2015, 19:31	#12
mupet0000 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 620	Just tried that Skype on 3 app and was unable to login on any version of the app, I was using mobile data. Also your 2nd link doesn't work.

27-05-2015, 19:41	#13
Jack_Wilson2 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom Posts: 561	Quote: Originally Posted by mupet0000 Just tried that Skype on 3 app and was unable to login on any version of the app, I was using mobile data. Also your 2nd link doesn't work. I did say 'this app worked perfectly fine in December last year' It could well be that the app doesn't work to this date but it's worth a try and yeah the second link it didn't hyperlink the last ')' character. However the skype phone S2X still appears to be working perfectly which is running Brew and signed me in.

27-05-2015, 19:44	#14
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Why you'd want a 6 year old version of Skype that doesn't support video just so you can work around some data charges I don't know. Surely people just need to make sure they're on a suitable data package?

27-05-2015, 19:47	#15
Jack_Wilson2 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom Posts: 561	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk Why you'd want a 6 year old version of Skype that doesn't support video just so you can work around some data charges I don't know. Surely people just need to make sure they're on a suitable data package? The purpose of the post was strictly 'VOIP' a 6 year old version of skype is perfectly fine in my opinion... But if you want a faster and more efficient skype experience video included a newer phone and a 4G service will fit the user. At the end of the day it's down to the user who wants either - Best skype experience - Get a high end phone and a large fast data package A phone which does the job as the OP wanted- and doesn't have any extra charges (Unless you want to call landlines and mobiles)

27-05-2015, 20:10	#16
secretmsgs Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 100	Facetime also tells you how much voice data you have used for every call, give a try

28-05-2015, 02:11	#17
c4rv Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Essex Posts: 16,218	Quote: Originally Posted by donelson Because I am on 500MB/month plan, they block Skype (and maybe others) because apparently Skype burns data like a b-stard. Thanks for the help. I would love to see a table of data rates for voice for all of those apps on iOS, Mac, Android and Windows. damm, If only there was some sort of facility to search the internet...... https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA1...oes-skype-need

28-05-2015, 04:47	#18
donelson Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: London Posts: 1,727	Quote: Originally Posted by c4rv damm, If only there was some sort of facility to search the internet...... https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA1...oes-skype-need Very few apps tell the bandwidth needed or actually used. For skype, there is a huge difference between 30 Kbps minimum and 100 Kbps recommended. At the upper rate, Skype needs 45 Mbytes per hour apparently. However, Sky Broadband blocks Skype. I suppose only ten hours could be used very quickly. Not sure if I can force Skype to use a lower data rate. Still looking for Apps that are well-defined this way.

28-05-2015, 05:21	#19
Aye Up Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: North West Posts: 4,885	Quote: Originally Posted by donelson However, Sky Broadband blocks Skype. I suppose only ten hours could be used very quickly. What on earth has given you that impression? Skype has always worked on Sky Broadband

28-05-2015, 05:23	#20
donelson Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: London Posts: 1,727	Quote: Originally Posted by Aye Up What on earth has given you that impression? Skype has always worked on Sky Broadband Whoops, meant to say Vodafone, not Sky. Sorry.

28-05-2015, 08:40	#21
oilman Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,854	just turn of cameras in Skype and it uses much less bandwith

DS Forums

Low data rate voice app?

28-05-2015, 11:09	#22
donelson Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: London Posts: 1,727	Quote: Originally Posted by oilman just turn of cameras in Skype and it uses much less bandwith Yes, just making Voice call from iPhone. There is a separate button for video calls. However when I do a voice call, Vodafone blocks it due to my price plan.

28-05-2015, 13:02	#23
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Simple answer is don't give Vodafone your money if they are going to do such silly things!

28-05-2015, 17:22	#24
engineermoore Forum Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 84	I found this online http://www.androidauthority.com/voic...arison-598541/ I don't agree with the result for whatsapp, it seems far too high compared to my usage however the other results may be useful

28-05-2015, 17:26	#25
moox Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 14,645	Quote: Originally Posted by engineermoore I found this online http://www.androidauthority.com/voic...arison-598541/ I don't agree with the result for whatsapp, it seems far too high compared to my usage however the other results may be useful If they're referring to kilobits (kb) then 12kbit/s is actually very low. 12kbyte/sec (kB) is rather high. They don't seem to make it clear what unit they're really using. I'd prefer a measurement of bitrates anyway