This is my next... published a great article today entitled "iMessage, Skype, Google Voice, and the death of the phone number" where the author outlines what Google, Skype (now Microsoft), and Apple are doing to the well entrenched telecom system that orbits around the phone number.
I completely agree with the conclusions of the article that we should move away from the ties of the phone number. I am especially keen on the possibilities shown with iOS 5's new iMessage capability along with a voice-only FaceTime implementation. Personally, iMessage may seal the fate of my currently unlimited texting plans on both AT&T and Verizon iPhones since the people I frequently text all have iPhones.
Read the excellent article on This is my next. In an article I am currently writing I will be presenting my own take on what you can do now to move away from the wireless carriers right now. Stay tuned.