3 UK promises free mobile Skype calls until the end of time

While most carriers are having quite a tift about Skype intruding on their territory, UK-based 3 is letting customers use unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls and messages without any extra fees. The new rules start May 1st for any compatible 3 headset, and later this summer it'll expand to every 3G phone on the network. The company says it sees the initiative as a win to everyone, not just the customers, as the hope is it'll lessen calls to people on other networks, which carries a hefty Mobile Termination Rate fee. Whatever the reasons, we're just happy to see at least one company embracing the VoIP service. We (and Nokia) can only hope this move is somehow contagious.

[Via GigaOM]

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 16th 2009 11:48AM]

Just been reading all the excited entries.
I have, for over ayear, been using my Skype2 phone with UK SIM as a bluetooth modem whilst in Italy. I've been so pleased with the service that I recommended it to several friends.

Not any more: got back for the summer and I couldn't connect with Skype. Connected my Mac and checked to see if the 3 at home was still operating. Couldn't find any reference. Curiosity and experience from being smacked in the wallet before caused me to enter my account page. What? £3 something on data and my paid for 1Gb internet use not touched. Odd.
Made a Skypeout call via the computer whilst connected to the 'net.
Rechecking data use later it had walloped up to over £7.

Connected via friends' WiFi and called Three. Service charges had changed on 28 June. I cannot remember any text message. They claim that the charges have been LOWERED as before, whilst roaming, data was £3/Mb; it's now £1.25. I told them that that was an increase of 125 times and that it was up to the user to check on their handset that they were in Tre [3 Italy] territory.

At the same time they have gone silly with unlimited Skype use: even my spare SIM with no money on it enables me to use my Skypeout to International phones whilst I am in the UK. How is that going to make money for Three?

Unless they make a forward step and utilise their connectivity in different countries, and expand them, I cannot see them attracting customers that will help them make a profit and give a reasonable service to all. £10 every 90 days is not much; I found myself using the phone for normal calls and txt. Now the edge has been removed, they are being too greedy with the traveller and too silly with those that stay in the UK. Either way, unless it changes, they will lose protability and eventually we, the customers, will lose what was a good thing.
Someone in management needs to pull their head out of the sand.
I'm sending this via bluetooth to my Ericsson with an Italian SIM. Paid a little more than a tenner, but it's much faster than I've experienced with 3 either here or in the UK [and I tried an Italian 3 SIM last year] and much better coverage over the places I tend to go