Finally, a genuine first sign that VoIP is going to take off

For all the hype over VoIP and how it's going to revolutionise telecoms, actually evidence of this has been short on the ground. It's all very well saying VoIP gives you the option of a single number that gives you access to free Internet calls, no matter whether you're at your PC, by your landline or using a mobile. But unless there's a way to actually do this, it's all so much theory.

The announcement by 3 yesterday that it's going to bundle Skype with its mobile Internet service is probably the first indication that the VoIP stirrings are now something more than hype. The pricing of the service is going to be the main factor in its success. 3's network tariffs aren't exactly the cheapest and adding on additional Internet access charges is going to be a turn-off for infrequent users. But for those that intend to use Skype as their main calling system - and who intend to use it a lot – it could certainly be a big costsaver and convenience.