Mithat Konar

Copyright © 2012 Mithat Konar. All rights reserved.

• Mobile data is almost ubiquitous.
• Makes it possible to contemplate a free (as in freedom) alternative to telecoms.
• Communication means should be:
  • decoupled from the data provider(s).
  • controlled by the user, not the provider.

• You should have the option to self-host the service.
  • Ideally FOSS.
  • If self-hosting not possible, then an open API is possibly acceptable.
• Open standards very much preferred.
• End-to-end encryption arguably mandatory.

• The service should offer:
  • voice communication
  • text messaging
  • video communication
• Until critical mass is attained, incoming/outgoing POTS bridge is arguably mandatory.

• XMPP+Jingle
• SIP
• Integrated providers (Skype, TruPhone, Google Voice, etc.)

• XMPP+Jingle
  • Self-hosting: yes
  • Voice: yes
  • Text: yes (not SMS)
  • Video: yes
  • POTS: no (I think)

• SIP
  • Self-hosting: ?
  • Voice: yes
  • Text: ?
  • Video: ?
  • POTS: yes (provider dependent)

• Integrated providers
  • Self-hosting: no
  • Voice: yes
  • Text: yes (some providers offer SMS as well)
  • Video: yes
  • POTS: yes
  • Additional comments: Skype uses closed-standard and proprietary codecs. Others may also.

• XMPP+Jingle
  • Limited by lack of POTS bridge

• SIP
  • ?

• Integrated providers
  • Not free
    • No self-hosting, much less FOSS.
      • Some have open APIs.
    • Some (most? all?) use closed/proprietary codecs.