Consumer inhibitions against using VoIP are falling away rapidly, especially as call quality improves. Google recently acquired Gizmo5 to enable Google Voice to become a Skype-like calling platform. And Skype itself is making a big push (now as an independent company) to grow its paid services. I find myself making more and more calls from my PC via Skype Out.

I got the following email yesterday, encouraging me to use Skype on my mobile device:

Data is more important than voice for younger mobile users and it's becoming more that way across the board. Right now carriers don't have a data-only option and Skype on mobile devices is mostly about cheap international calling. However, if the availability of data only should change Skype might become a viable substitute for a mobile voice plan. Imagine: $15 - $20 per month for data (esp. 4G) and no voice plan. That would remove the need for my $99 unlimited plan.

Do you think the carriers will allow this scenario to come to pass? Um, no. Though I can still hope. 

Alternatively, if WiFi or high speed connectivity becomes nearly ubiquitious (e.g., WiMax or LTE), then I have a Skype account to do mobile calling from all my connected devices: iPod Touch, netbook, eReader or other smart non-phone mobile device.