Skype Unveils New Subscription Plans, Group Video Chat
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, May 10, 2010 · 
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VoIP provider Skype announced last week that it will offer calling plans for international wireline and wireless phones at significantly lower rates than its current pay-as-you-go services.
The new calling plans are lite versions of their monthly unlimited subscription plans which will still ring both landlines and mobile phones for a flat fee.
The VoIP provider is offering 60-, 120-, and 400-minute-per-month packages for 1-, 3-, and 12-month durations. Subscriptions will now start as low as $1.09 per month with initial rates at $.01 per minute.
In addition, Skype is now offering its subscriptions for 170 countries rather than for 40; more than quadrupling the amount of lines a caller can reach. Skype’s new plans are cross-platform and will work anywhere you use Skype.
Skype says that these new subscription plans will offer users “savings of up to 60%” compared to its current pay-as-you-go rates. The new international rates are also significantly lower than the $2.95 monthly subscription that it currently offers for U.S.-based users to place unlimited calls in the United States and Canada.
Also last week, Skype launched a public “beta” test of a group video chat function that lets up to five people participate in a video call simultaneously. Initially the trial will be free, but the company will begin charging for the group feature — one of its users’ biggest requests — later in the summer. Video calling is the company’s fastest-growing service, accounting for one third of all calls.
Skype, which has helped pioneer Internet calls, offers a range of free services, including the ability to make voice or video calls and send instant messages to other Skype users. Users pay for extra services such as making calls from a PC to a landline or cell phone. Skype boasts more than 560 million users worldwide.
Learn more about Skype’s new subscription rates.
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