Anyone using Skype?

[wagwar]

I've got the 20gb plan through Millenicom. The upstream provider is Verizon. I'm just wondering if anyone has used Skype in the same kind of mobile environment?  How much data usage is associated with a typical, let's say, 10 minute conversation?

Thanks.

[bevans6]

What you need is a solid relatively high bandwidth connection, probably more than a typical campground wifi can provide.  We use it with a connection that has around 3 meg of Downstream , probably only 128K upstream bandwidth, a fairly good 3G connection, and it still drops from time to time on voice only.  Never thought to measure actual usage per minute or anything like that.

Brian

[PP]

We rely on Skype because of our overseas relatives in England. We have a 5 gig plan with ATT and it rarely uses more than 2 gigs a month. We had Netzero for a couple of years while we workcamped and even with a slow dialup connection Skype was useable, though it would fade in and out on occasion. In our experience it doesn't take much to make a Skype connection work. Never really paid much attention to usage per minute though.
I should add, using the park wifi here we don't have any problems with it and when on the road almost any wifi that is strong enough to get into our email accounts is strong enough to use Skype. And no, I don't have any affiliation with Skype, just a happy customer that saves a lot of moola using them,
Will

One last thing, we average 6 hours on Skype per week.

[bobofthenorth]

We've used Skype for a long time.  The actual bandwidth consumption is minimal and we've used it on some pretty flaky connections - sometimes you get dropped unceremoniously but its really quite amazing how well it works most of the time.  If I'm using it for business I will usually warn my client but I have been known to bluff that and get away with it. 

We tried to use Skype-to-phone over our Hughes satellite connection and that was a complete disaster.  We did however have some success using Skype to Skype over the Hughes dish.  I'm not sure what is different in that situation but it gave us a usable connection, just a bit of a lag but you can sometimes have a lag in any VOIP connection in my experience.

To the OP question, I doubt you could use up 20 GB if you stayed on the phone 24/7 for the whole month BICBW.

[GreyEagle]

We used it today to talk and visit with our son, his DW and the 3 grandkids. They're stationed in Germany for the next 3 years counting this one and it's was the only way we could see them..... no problems, worked great.. All free too!!!!

[RJ]

They're stationed in Germany for the next 3 years counting this one and it's was the only way we could see them.....

Grey -

Where in Germany?  My son recently got back to the States after 5.5 years @ Spangdahlem AFB.

RJ

[bobofthenorth]

It just occured to me that we never use Skype video.  Doing that will likely increase your bandwidth consumption.

[GreyEagle]

Grey -

Where in Germany?  My son recently got back to the States after 5.5 years @ Spangdahlem AFB.

RJ

Just outside of Kaiserslautern. He's stationed at a hospital there. OIC for maintenance / calibration etc.
just returned from Afghanistan then went to the AWOC (Advanced Warrant Officer Course) and off the Germany for 3 years.

[Van]

We love Skype! I use it more from the smarty phone, yesterday two video calls to the Netherlands (Rotterdam/Brabant), and another with my Buddie who is visiting his schotzy back in Farankfurt. Sure does save a lot of postage and Long distance charges.