AT&T now allowing iPhone VoIP calls over 3G
By Nilay Patel 
posted Oct 6th 2009 5:03PM
posted Oct 6th 2009 5:03PM
AT&T EXTENDS VOIP TO 3G NETWORK FOR IPHONE
DALLAS, October 6, 2009 - AT&T* today announced it has taken the steps necessary so that Apple can enable VoIP applications on iPhone to run on AT&T's wireless network. Previously, VoIP applications on iPhone were enabled for Wi-Fi connectivity. For some time, AT&T has offered a variety of other wireless devices that enable VoIP applications on 3G, 2G and Wi-Fi networks. AT&T this afternoon informed Apple Inc. and the FCC of its decision.
In late summer, AT&T said it was taking a fresh look at VoIP capabilities on iPhone for use on AT&T's 3G network, consistent with its regular review of device features and capabilities to ensure attractive options for consumers.
"iPhone is an innovative device that dramatically changed the game in wireless when it was introduced just two years ago," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets. "Today's decision was made after evaluating our customers' expectations and use of the device compared to dozens of others we offer."
AT&T allows customers to download or launch on their wireless devices a multitude of compatible applications directly from any lawful Internet website. Additionally, because AT&T uses GSM technology, the most pervasive and open wireless technology platform in the world, we support customers using any GSM phone that works on AT&T's frequencies.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
DALLAS, October 6, 2009 - AT&T* today announced it has taken the steps necessary so that Apple can enable VoIP applications on iPhone to run on AT&T's wireless network. Previously, VoIP applications on iPhone were enabled for Wi-Fi connectivity. For some time, AT&T has offered a variety of other wireless devices that enable VoIP applications on 3G, 2G and Wi-Fi networks. AT&T this afternoon informed Apple Inc. and the FCC of its decision.
In late summer, AT&T said it was taking a fresh look at VoIP capabilities on iPhone for use on AT&T's 3G network, consistent with its regular review of device features and capabilities to ensure attractive options for consumers.
"iPhone is an innovative device that dramatically changed the game in wireless when it was introduced just two years ago," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets. "Today's decision was made after evaluating our customers' expectations and use of the device compared to dozens of others we offer."
AT&T allows customers to download or launch on their wireless devices a multitude of compatible applications directly from any lawful Internet website. Additionally, because AT&T uses GSM technology, the most pervasive and open wireless technology platform in the world, we support customers using any GSM phone that works on AT&T's frequencies.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
It's about friggin time..
shit I know!
Maybe they'll even let us TETHER our phones to computers, sometime soon..... Wouldn't that just be wild!?
I think of it as:
"one small step for iPhone, one giant leap for the consumer"
Engadgetier:
"...for the suckers"*
This may even bode well for tethering. As in, they won't charge a ridiculous amount for it, because they're afraid the FCC will start regulating up in their shiznat.
Or maybe... Maybe they'll add free tethering. I don't care if it's bandwidth-limited or something, I just want to download the occasional e-mail attachment away from the office, you know?
Well, that sure came out of left field. Definately welcomed, though.
definitely*
*difiantly
Until you realize it's just part of AT&T's plans to ruin everyone's perception of VOIP on cell phones by letting their data network basically die under the strain. And they could just leave the latency somewhat high on their network while boosting bandwidth so that while most mobile phone internet usage wouldn't suffer too much VOIP would become an unusable mess.
And once people decide that VOIP sucks on 3G their evil plan is complete because people probably won't try it again for a long tim.
...to get downranked!
at being a complete tool.
Would this have any impact on Google Voice?
I don't think the latency of att's network will allow for very good communication. Ever used push to talk from att. It basically voip and sucks.
VoIP isn't too bad over 3G.
I'll take latency over dropped calls. It's been really bad lately. I keep my calls as short as possible for fear of it dropping. Reminds me of the days when I used to get the first incoming minute free.
So what's a phone call? I realized that I only talk on my phone about 6 times a month. Damn text and emails!!!
Correction ... Push To Talk is absolutely NOTHING like VOIP. Its like comparing apples to the Statue of Liberty.
@NyxoLyno: I'd say far more different, actually, since the Statue of Liberty is in the big apple.
+1 to mark
So now that VoIP is allowed, why not slingplayer?
oh engadget updated their post to mention slingplayer. good. i guess.
finally good things from at&t and apple..
just another feature i won't use on my iphone that i'd bet only 15% of people really only care about but endlessly complain about needing
Hold on now. I use skype to call oversees, and I use skype to call in US. I have cheapest plan with AT&T and for $9.99 I have unlimited calls to US, Canada, Mexico, Half Europe, Many Asian Countries and so on and so forth.
For just 2.99 you can call anywhere in US (landlines and cellphones) so why wouldn't you be excited about it.
That is great deal and it will lower your cost, you can downgrade your cell phone bill.
Save you lots of money, and I bet they did it because Sprint offered $79.99 plan.
So... this means the Google Voice app should be approved also right? Right?
No. That would be WAY too confusing! Can you imagine? A phone app, and a google voice app... Crazy.
According to Apple, us customers would be so terribly confused by the Google Voice app if it were approved. Apparently, such an app would make us forget the other features Apple worked so hard on making.
Bullcrap! Oh yeah, and I want my SlingPlayer app. Too bad it took Congress and the FCC to make this happen. AT&T is just making the announcement before the government forces them to do it, so it looks like it was THEIR idea.
Google voice != skype.
Google voice is a far more complex issue. It is essentially a personal PBX. Not saying it shouldn't be approved, just saying they aren't playing the same game.
I think I heard pigs fly just now, or am I seeing things that AT&T is allowing VoIP on their rather fragile networks that they previously believed would hamper customer service and quality?
Then if true, yes, bring on the Slingplayer App!
I'm glad they finally approved VOIP over 3G, why be restricted from using something that might ease the voice traffic on their network. I wonder when tethering will be made available. Come on AT&T.
thats what YOU said.
Wow. So iPhone will pave the way fir voip bard calling plans etc. How revolutionary is that. Ms has been left in the dust.
What? Skype was on WinMo for years now.
How is iPhone "paving the way for voip 'bard'(WTF) calling plans"? You could do this on any Symbian phone back in April. LogicFail.
Nice job though, Apple.
don't steal my memes, darbear5610!
I didn't steal (from you at least).
http://1389ad.deviantart.com/art/Logic-FAIL-99374572
skype has been on winmo since forever.
and so has slingplayer on winmo
and so has pandora on winmo
and so has multitasking on winmo
and yes, there were apps way before iphone on winmo.
Actually you could do proper voip with symbian for years, none of the skype nonsense. My N80 had a Sip client included, once you had set it up, you just dialed a number then hit 'call' or 'internet call'. I do it now with my N95 and it works a treat.
screw skype on WinMo. we have choice, I have the option of using my prefered provider for Voip
We need more 3G coverage, AT&T. MORE!
The day they let skype work over 3g on the iphone, pigs will fly!
well watch out because bunch of pigs are about to fly and drop manure on your head
Hahaha! Swine flew, get it?
Because that's exactly what the already overloaded AT&T network needs!! iPhone FTC!!
FTC? ... That's a new one to me.. Clarification plz?
I tried to make a SKYPE call earlier today and it wouldn't work without WiFi. If More people used Skype on their computers, we could really cut down on minutes.
The Hell has just frozen over.
Not just any hell, but The Hell.
Mass Hysteria, Dogs & Cats living together.....
You forgot human sacrifice
who ya gonna call....?
Ghostbusters!! (on SKYPE!)
It did not work.
Wall Street Journal reporting on the news said "AT&T has flipped around and is now allowing 3G VoIP traffic on its network"--the operative word being "now". But like you, i've tried it in the past few minutes and it still isn't working.
Was the WSJ wrong or too literal with that "now"? Is there more to it than ATT "allowing" it or opening their lines for it? Does apple need to update the phone OS? Does skype need to release an update to the iPhone app? Who here knows?
LOL - Maybe it's a Secret AT&T Plan to Improve Their Phone Service. Can't Use Your Cell? Please Use Your Backup Skype or Google Voice Service. Have a Nice Day.
This is very good step for Apple. Excellent for Skype-users too, Good job!
They probably realized after the MMS fiasco that the majority of people wont use it. I'd bet that the majority of iPhone owners aren't MMSing often. So if you make the FCC and customers shutup by offering something that maybe 5% of iPhone owners will use, it'll save them trouble in the long run.
There (most likely) has to be an update to the app for this to work. There's code on the phone restricting it's use over 3G, so they have to remove that.
I actually looked at the taskbar to make sure it wasn't April 1st.
About ... time! Now, where the heck is my friggin SLINGPLAYER!!!!!!!!!
>AT&T's argument that it's doesn't need
>it's doesn't need
>it is does not need
That's some quality proofreading right there.
well done. engadget fail
Now where is that $1/month 5 anytime minute plan?
oh that comes with a $55/month tax/activation/service/maintenance/screw-you-in-the-butt charge too
So does this mean I could travel over seas with my AT&T SIM and use Skype to dial from the cell and not get those crazy per-minute charges? If so, I'm SO down for this.
No because you would probably incur overseas data roaming charges if your using your original SIM. Your better off just finding a WiFi cafe like before.
Does anyone know if this means Skype is going to work immediately over 3G or will they need to put out a new version?
Then you would be paying crazy be KB data charges.
i'm going to london in 10 days. it'd be great to be able to make phone calls/send texts from any wi-fi environment. is that what i can expect? I'm led to believe i should turn off roaming and other services while i'm there to avoid exorbitant costs.
anybody have good experience with that? I'd appreciate the advice.
Someone has to explain why it makes sense to pay ATT for cell service to use Skype or GV?
Think of it as wifi roaming. The iPhone has always tended to treat 3G as wifi roaming.
As much shhh as we talk about AT&T n iPhone. They will be first to really facilitate voip over cell due to software from aple is, suck. Looks like vzw sprint tmobil are being spanked hard. Think of this 69% of cell HTML browsing in the USA is on 1 phone 1 carrier. Sickness. Dominance. Ownage. Schooling.
Daily WTF
Your engrish did a dissapointment
about time AT&T
those screenshot are using wifi engadget... duh...
I haave a serious prediction.
After AT&T iPhone voip over 3g rolls out it will b leading voip cell carrier.
Guaranteed. All other smartphone are being seriously owned n raped.
wow! Verizon getting android and at&t allowing VOIP calls over 3G. I'm scared what tomorrow will bring, the end of the world maybe?
The pigs are not yet airborne. Just tried iPhone 3G call on Skype and pop-up message telling me I need WiFi. Maybe it's 3GS only?
I think skype needs to update the app to use 3G for calls. I am having 3GS but I still get the pop up saying can't make calls on 3G .
This is AT&T's way of saying
"Google Voice was not our fault"
fantastic news, I'm very glad the iPhone is achieving more and more success!
I'll just predict the future here a little bit...
AT&T will allow anything / everything on their 3G network per the FCC & Net Neutrality.
The network will slow to an even slower crawl than it is now.
AT&T will offer to up-sell you to a data plan than uses dedicated bandwidth where video, p2p, etc. is filtered.
Not only do we get to pay even more, but we get a usable wireless network!!!
shut up wigger
"Wigger" ?!?!?
seriously?
I doubt VoIP will use substantially more bandwidth than regular voice, and certainly will use less bandwidth than streaming video. If I'm talking via Skype, I'm not clogging the network any more than I would be if I were talking using regular voice.
ATT can look good by allowing VOIP calls when actually not taking much a hit on their network. Remember that an iPhone Skype user can only receive calls if he/she has the iPhone application open. Since more iPhone users won't be waiting around for skype incoming calls, the vast majority of incoming calls will still be routed over the ATT wireless minutes.
You have to reckon that skype will use push notifications now as part of the update to allow 3G voip
Engadget, what are you doing making calls to little boys?
That is a young Elton John
Yes, Slingplayer would be great. Lets totally grind the AT&T 3G system to a complete halt so that nobody can use their phone.
What about over EDGE so we have more coverage?
DON'T say EDGEis too slow. I use skype regularly over EDGE on my iPhone with the jailbreak skype hack and it sounds PLENTY clear enough to have a conversation.
You'd have to reckon that skype will roll out push notifications with the voip over 3G option. It makes sense. Not that sense has anything to do with updates generally
So in the end, it's AT&T that is responsible, like I thought it was. Google Voice next?
Now they just need to allow the Slingbox app over 3G. x.x
i just fell out of my chair in disbelief!
Is this why its taken like 30 seconds to get a call or text to go through today?
no, because the Skype app needs to be updated before it will work over the cell-net, not just some magical red button
I'd think they'd already have an app update prepared for this eventuality, wouldn't you?
I thank the government not ATT for this. ATT would have never done this without pressure from the FCC. It will probably take 4G network capacity and more powerful phones for this to work as it should but I expect to be using Skype on my cell phone next year, great news.
SOCIALIST! /s
Ah great news, finally I can use Skype for my international calls when on 3G...
Much better than having to find a wifi spot to make a call...
Hopefully google voice next...