Monday, June 25, 2007
Mobile operators lock VoIP
Edited - Thanks Andy for the heads-up. Much of this content came from the ZDNet article. Cheers David for the scoop.
The mobile cartels are at it again. So soon after the telecoms regulator Ofcom forced a reduction in their termination rates, they are again running scared, this time over phones that enable VoIP.
Orange and Vodafone today decided to remove VoIP functionality from Nokia’s N95 handset.
The feature-rich Nokia N95 supports SIP, which enables integrated IP telephony capabilities, a service that business users are increasingly demanding. Orange and Vodafone, however, have disabled that feature on their N95 handsets.
A spokesperson for Orange said it was “not Orange’s policy to remove VoIP functionality from devices. This is a handset-specific issue and, in this particular instance, Orange was asked by Nokia whether they wanted the VoIP functionality switched on or off, and Orange selected off”.
Vodafone takes a different view. “Vodafone currently does not offer a VoIP proposition that would allow its customers to have universal access to telephony services. Vodafone believes that VoIP over mobile is not yet a mature service proposition, doesn’t have guaranteed quality of service, and does not provide the customer experience demanded of any service we launch,” a spokesperson for the mobile operator said on Thursday. “There is a misleading perception that VoIP services are ‘free’. This is, however, not the case when it comes to using VoIP over mobile, where customers… may incur further charges.”
It looks to me like the mobile cartels are seeing their house falling down.
The real truth is far more simple. VoIP will enable people to call without the need to go through mobile operators. Not surprising then that they have turned off this feature.
How does this affect Rebtel?
Don’t worry – our service allows you to use your free minutes to call anyone internationally for free.
