I remember when Skype debuted and after only crackly POTS calls as a reference point, the clarity whilst speaking from the USA to a friend in Berlin was AMAZING. I am not sure of dates but at some point it started to decline not just in call quality but UI and everything really, I assume this is when it was sold but cannot be sure. I had hoped Wire would fill that void for me PLUS add encryption, since some original Skypers were involved, but it seems to be fading as well on the Personal side.