Users of the iPhone and iPod Touch may be thrilled at the prospect of free VoIP communication after the recent unveiling of a mobile version of Skype specifically for Apple’s popular handsets, but the news is not sitting well with certain mobile phone carriers keen to protect their profit margins.
Skype may not find a VoIP voice on the iPhone due to contract violations. Image: Apple.
More pointedly, German carrier Deutsche Telekom, which exclusively markets the iPhone across five European territories, has indicated that customers looking to take advantage of Skype’s free handset-to-handset service could well be violating the terms of their service contracts.
“For one-and-a-half years the use of Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, and Instant Messaging applications is prohibited in all our data tariffs,” explained Deutsche Telekom spokesman Alexander Graf von Schmettow in an Associated Press report.
The Bonn-based company’s spokesman went on to suggest Skype could compromise network performance and that use of VoIP and IM applications is considered a breach of contract. Furthermore, if a customer is discovered to be using such platforms, then T-Mobile (a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom) has the right to block access and even suspend services.
The threat of suspended services also looms over BlackBerry owners, who are set to receive Skype in May, after Deutsche Telekom said the same contract violation covers VoIP on the RIM-made smartphones.
Commenting on the prospect of carriers such as Deutsche Telekom preventing iPhone users from accessing Skype, a lawyer for the eBay-owned service insisted that the introduction of Skype poses no threat to network performance.
In terms of how other European telecommunication company’s view the use of Skype on the iPhone, the Wall Street Journal notes that Telefonica O2, which holds iPhone exclusivity in the UK, has said Skype can be utilised over a Wi-Fi network but not through its high-speed 3G network.
Interestingly, Vodafone, which is the world’s biggest telecommunication player, has said that it generally has no problem with the use of Skype or other VoIP services on either Wi-Fi or 3G networks.
Already available on a wealth of other mobile phone handsets equipped with Java and/or Windows Mobile, it has been shown that Skype (which has more than 400 million users) can even help stimulate customer spending as it promotes interest in other network services.
Want regular updates from The Tech Herald? Follow us on Twitter.
The Tech Herald: iPod Touch looking rosy as Skype confirmed for iPhone
The Tech Herald: Skype officially confirmed for May rollout on BlackBerry
Interested in a more interactive TTH? Join our Facebook Group Want regular updates from The Tech Herald? Follow us on Twitter
Advertising
Comment on this Story