From Estonia comes news that the guys behind file-swapping legend Kazaa are launching an Internet phone service they claim could put traditional phone companies out of business. AP says the service, called Skype, purports to offer free, unlimited phone service between users with sound quality near to existing phone lines.
Skype users — and there are already more than half a million of them — can currently use the program only to talk to each other, but it could later be enhanced so someone could call other types of programs, or even regular landline and cell phones. The program directs peer-to-peer data through the quickest networks, ensuring that quality isn’t degraded. Privacy is ensured through encryption.