Carriers could be forced by EU to support VoIP services

We've seen it time and time again -- carriers using their power to strong-arm consumers into paying services that could very well be free. Over in Europe, the almighty EU is considering "binding guidelines" that could force wireless operators to allow VoIP services such as Skype to run over their cellular networks. It should be noted that all of this is still very preliminary at the moment, but if the Union can somehow force carriers to support these so-called "innovative services," we could see a very favorable (for consumers, anyway) domino effect. As it stands, each EU country has the ability to decide individually on how they deal with blocked internet services, but obviously an EU-wide mandate would seriously shake things up. Or cause unstoppable riots, one.

[Via Electronista]

[MartenKL Posted Apr 14th 2009 2:03AM]

What cost will be past on? The cost of not blocking VoIP ports on their networks? I just hope that standard protocols like SIP take precedence over proprietary like Skype. I am mostly sad SIP hasn't been a bigger hit. Mostly because people are uninformed. Hopefully this will also lead to set top boxes being legislated to use standars like DVB-C/S and h.264. This kind of stuff is very important and the EU is way ahead of at least my Swedish government when it comes to legislate for free markets on new infrustructures. I have yet to understand CableCARD in the US but I believe it is something in that vein to.

This is truly important stuff, big corporations don't like free markets, they prefer monopoly. Own the clients not by loyalty because of good products, own them by eliminating choice. Which is why black fiber/physical infrastructure should be government and service providers private. What if we had three road networks in every country and you could only drive on the ones you subscribed too?

[Jigielnik Posted Apr 13th 2009 10:08AM]

i hope this passes

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 12:38PM]

VoIP using cellular access (as opposed to the use of WIFI access) would most probably not be practical in reality due to the highly assimmetrical access (much more download bandwidth than upload) that cellular networks have (including HSDPA). This is not likely to change any time soon. Making easier for people to use Skype on WIFI access on cellular phones can have some negative impact on incumbent operators but, in my opinion, not too high.

[Beamo Posted Apr 13th 2009 1:03PM]

3 in the UK do free skype calls currently - to maintain quality of service its actually a circuit switched call to the network and then VoIP from there. and yes - even the call to the network is free.

[pika2000 Posted Apr 13th 2009 2:29PM]

While in the US, providers are disallowing VOIP, video streaming, and tethering. I can see the 5GB cap that everybody have being lowered in the future.