Blocking 911 seems like a bit of a concern, especially for people who don't have a land line. Is that even allowed?

@FatLynn: It's blocking 911 inbound but not outbound.

@FatLynn: It says except for calls to 911 and 611 and they are without limitation. IIRC, even a cell phone with no service provider can call 911.

Horrible idea. Sorry, you need to be able to call 911 and I can't imagine what VOIP will be like on Edge in rural areas.

@Laura Northrup: I live in a county island, so we have our own sheriffs here as opposed to police, and when I've called something in it's typically a sheriff calling me back from a random or blocked number. If the police call back is it even from 911?

@duckfat: you can call 911

I haven't tried the VOIP yet, but due to the iPhones limitation of background processes, can you even recieve calls when the app isn't open?

If that's the case, it would make the idea even more pointless to an effect.

If too many people do this, AT&T will probably either make the iPhone data plans available only with a voice plan, or offer a less-expensive lower-minute voice plan. As it is, their cheapest voice plan is $39.99 for 450 minutes (at least for my region) unless you're over 65.

I didn't think this could be done...I just assumed.

The only thing that stops from getting an Iphone is that I don't want to pay for a voice plan. Currently I've maintained a balance of at least 4500 rollover minutes for the last 3 years on my At&t 400 minute/month plan, so I clearly don't need to be dropping the $39.99/month for it (my employer reimburses me)

If I could do a prepaid, or have none and do VoIP I'd do it. But I didn't think one could do this....

I have no desire to drop my voice plan, but that doesn't mean it's not routinely dropping me...calls.

I love the iPhone, but AT&T has the worst cellular network I have ever used. Maybe they'll make a device that I can buy for hundreds of dollars that augments their crap cellular coverage by using my broadband connection? It would be even cooler if charged a monthly fee for that convenience...

Back on topic, I noticed that the Vonage app. states that it will use up your voice minutes if you make calls over the data network. WTF is that about?

@madog: Rereading the article, the OP seems to just want to make calls when he needs to. While I appreciate the fact that I don't have to pick up any call just because I have a phone on me (and I hate that some people expect you to, and that others will drop anything they're doing to answer one), there are many times when it is necessary. Say if there is an emergency call to you, but the service is going slow or the app doesn't display a message left (if it even does that) and you don't notice or recieve the call several minutes/hours later.

I dunno, I guess I would rather have the instant discretion to answer an incoming call, rather than the discretion to call someone back at a later time (if I am even aware of it).

I have to question the intelligence behind this move.

Is the 3G network with AT&T consistent enough to drop voice for VoIP-only? (911, 611 for emergencies?) I wouldn't even drop voice on Verizon if VoIP was an option for a data enabled device. I've got 20 Down / 2 Up with Charter and at times my connection with them for VoIP is questionable.

Presumably the use of VoIP would allow you to make calls with ease..but what if people need to call you? If there's an emergency, do you really want your main method of communication reliant on VoIP?

Two cans and string would be more reliable than depending on ATT's 3G network...

@pecan 3.14159265:

We have VoIP at home as back-up to our cells. (Battery is low, phone is lost/stolen, etc) Our cells serve as back-up to VoIP. There are times (downloading a torrent) that the VoIP connection is sketchy, and thus I have to switch calls over to the cell(s).

What do you do when you don't have another number to forward to?

They wifi already sucks on the iphone, so voip probly won't have a good constant connection and calls are then gonna be dropping.

@admiral_stabbin: They are, in fact, testing femtocells (they call them microcells) in a couple of markets. The net cost to the user is $50-$150 depending on your plan, I think.

The "use your voice minutes" warning is for people without a data plan but buying ad-hoc data service, I'm pretty sure.

@duckfat: RTFA -_-

@tmlfan81: This reminds of something 20somethings would do because they don't forsee a 'what if?' situation. It's like not having health insurance. You're young, healthy - nothing's going to happen, right?
But what fo you do when something does happen?
What if you're on a bus, and your cell is the only thing
you have, and there's an emergency? I'm not willing to leave that up to VoIP.

@pecan 3.14159265: A real emergency? Dial 911. An "OMG I forgot to set the DVR to record Twilight" emergency? deal with it. ;)

@Colonel Jack O'Neill:

Wifi sucks on the iPhone? That's news to me. I use the wireless network at home and at work to connect my iPhone to the Internet. Never had any problems.

@GearheadGeek: "or offer a less-expensive lower-minute voice plan."

We can always hope and dream. <-- this from someone that's still signed up for a Cellular One plan through AT&T and sees no reason to sign up for an AT&T plan

@tmlfan81:

20 Down/2 Up should be PLENTY for VoIP calls.... sounds like your ISP is being a jackass and throttling your internets.

@GearheadGeek: No, I mean what if someone needs to get ahold of you.

@admiral_stabbin:
I finally broke down and bought an iPod touch, just to see if not having a keyboard would be something I could live with. It's not. I've decided I will never switch to AT&T and get an iPhone. Maybe I'll get a Palm Pre... not sure.

Voice traffic has priority on AT&T's cellular network, but VOIP data traffic from an iPhone application will have no such quality of service. Expect frequent jitter and dropped calls.

@pecan 3.14159265: Wait, are you saying I should get health insurance? But... I'm young and healthy....

I'd LOVE to.

Due to ATT's shitty network, I think I'd drop more calls this way than the regular cell service.

My guess is this is why ATT is allowing it, they know not enough people would have the balls to do it.

I am Skype-ignorant, so excuse me if this is a stupid question. Is it true that a Skype app on the IPhone won't allow incoming calls? Vonage is VOIP also, but allows incoming calls - why won't the IPhone Skype app?

We must be misunderstanding something - what's the point of having a cell phone if you can only MAKE calls, but not RECEIVE calls?

Maybe he texts everyone he wants to communicate with?

@GearheadGeek: I think Admiral might've been aware of the Microcell affair. His post reads a lot like a tongue-in-cheek request.

@pecan 3.14159265:

If you only have a cell phone you are not prepared for the emergency you speak of.

The only difference is that your coverage area is slightly smaller that will support 3G, but neither is guaranteed to be there when you "really" need it so they both leave you in the same boat.

@pittpanther:

The app does allow incoming calls, I believe, but you have to have the app open - if you're doing anything else, the app is closed, and hence no incoming calls.

@rpm773: i thought rollover minutes expire one year after they're accumulated...

@GearheadGeek:

I have the 450 minute plan and I usually use about 75. At least I have lots of rollover minutes :)

@wild homes loves you but chooses darkness!: I figured he knew what they were but was thinking of the Sprint model, which is a lousy deal. From Sprint you pay a bigger up-front, don't have an option to defray any of the device cost AND the device doesn't provide 3G data service to your device. The AT&T device seems to be a better deal for the end-user, regardless of whether you "should have to" pay directly to improve their network infrastructure.

@taking_this_easy: They do. I'm losing about 350-400 rollover minutes a month as I keep hitting the max balance.

I've been a month-to-month customer for almost 6 years. You should see my current phone - it's a 2003 standard issue Nokia. I get laughed at all the time.

I can't even imagine what a VOIP applet on the iPhone would do if you asked it to call 911... Even stone-age Vonage could usually connect you to somebody since they had your address.

@admiral_stabbin: Location, location, location. AT&T is just fine in my area, and is far better out in the sticks around my town for those I call who have it (please wait while the nextel subscriber is being located...). Plus, 90% of the people I call have ATT, so a majority of my calls are always "free".

I do not believe it for a second that one carrier is vastly superior than another overall. They all kind of suck in general, but it just depends on where you live.

iPhones require voice and data service to be used on the network. From the iPhone terms of service at [www.wireless.att.com] :

"iPhone voice and data plans required for use of iPhone."

Blackberry and other Smartphone devices have data-only options and plans that can be set up, but iPhones do not.

@tmlfan81: It all depends. I always have 3G in my town, and even in the farmland surrounding. When I visit San Francisco I have problems with it indoors, but rarely here. I also solely use Pandora in my car, and never get any dropped songs (with the higher quality audio option checked too).

I couldn't make the switch to only VOIP, but I doubt I would have an issue here.

I don't know why everyone says ATT has a shitty network. They might suck where you live, but it is the best where I live. I stated it in another reply, but it's all about location. I don't believe any carrier is vastly superior than the next on the grand scale of it all. In my town and the surrounding areas 20-50 mi out that I frequent, I can't remember the last dropped call I've had, and 99% of the time I have 3G/GPS access (except the one time me and my wife joined a family plan, and employee error caused them to disable it for half a day).

As I recall several months, or possibly years ago, AT&T was sued by whatever group represents the deaf and hard of hearing for forcing voice plans with the iPhone. As a result of that action, you can in fact get an iPhone with data-only. I don't recall if you have to actually be deaf or hard of hearing to get on that plan though.

@athmsVT: Wow, you're totally not getting my point. I spend most of the day in the office but occasionally I go out for a walk. This means I only have a cell phone. When I'm going home, I only have a cell phone. Come to think of it, when I'm at home, all I have is a cell phone. If someone needs to get ahold of me, I'm not going to rely on VoIP to get the job done. It's the nature of it - sometimes, all you have is your cell phone.

@sirwired: Read the article closer. You can still dial 911. If you are using VOIP then it's not ATT or really the iPhone at fault if it doesn't work.

Furthermore, all cell phones these days must be able to dial 911 even without a voice plan, and can be done on the iPhone even when it hasn't be activated on the network yet.

@nakkypoo: The T-Mobile Sidekick was the first cheap smartphone and was super popular with the deaf community. T-Mobile made sure to have an option without voice--can't remember if they gave customers a number so they could have texting, too.

@NeverLetMeDown: So the OP is planning on nearly severing all capabilities that make the iPhone great (specifically: running additional apps) or sacrifice the capability to receive an incoming phone call temporarily, all in the name of saving the "minutes" amount of his phone bill?

Awesome. That's some dedication, either to nerdiness or cheapness, that I just cannot comprehend.

@madog: The only time I've had real issues with their network was when I was in the middle of absolutely nowhere in northern NY, near Canada. Even then I had Edge except when we were way out in the farmland.

@TheFlamingoKing: Well, I guess it's not quite that bad. If the Skype app is not open, the incoming call will (I presume) go to voicemail. So the guy will just need to check his VM periodically.

No requirement that he has to answer every incoming call immediately...

Have been using Skype Mobile on WM for a few years now. Works great. You can also use something like Microsoft Portrait to do Video VOIP (as long as you've got WiFi or a really fast 3G like Sprint). The downside is that with the usual camera positions available, your callers really get to see a lot of the inside of your nostrils.