The two companies are already developing a range of cheap and portable Internet appliances that will enable people to use on-line services as routinely as they make a telephone call.

ECONOMIST: Internet riders

"Such an easy telephone call to make and yet it wasn't done, " he said.

BBC: Jake Thompson lorry death in Bristol reinvestigated

"He said he was calling from Miranshah in North Waziristan and the telephone number used to make the call carried an area code common to the Waziristan tribal area and Bannu, the adjoining district in the North West Frontier Province, " the paper said.

BBC: Unknown Pakistan group claims India's Pune bombing

Users download the free application off the Web, but instead of typing a text message, they use a headset, telephone or microphone and speakers to make a high-quality, two-way voice call to anyone else running the application.

FORBES: Skype Proves Anyone Can Sell Phone Service