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T-Mobile Germany says sipgate makes jailbreaking too attractive
Alright, can someone help us out with a little primer on German law here? California-based sipgate offers up a VoIP client for the iPhone that -- for the moment, anyway -- requires a jailbroken handset to run. It goes about its business on WiFi airwaves, so from the carrier's perspective, no harm, no foul, right? Not so much. T-Mobile Germany takes issue with the app, claiming that it's enticing its iPhone users to jailbreak -- a violation of its contract terms. Furthermore, the contract disallows VoIP of any kind, WiFI or otherwise, which pretty much makes sipgate public enemy number one in T-Mob's eyes. They've gone ahead and sent out a nasty little cease 'n desist, which sipgate says it plans to fight all the way through the court system if that's how T-Mobile wants to roll; meanwhile, it's still providing service and says that "for the time being [its] users are safe." Fight the good fight, guys.[Via TUAW]
T-Mobile demands sipgate nix VoIP software
Thilo Salmon, CEO of sipgate, Inc., wrote in to say that T-Mobile Germany has asked his company to cease and desist offering the company's flagship VoIP software. In the letter from its lawyers, T-Mobile claims that sipgate is making the jailbreak process appear more attractive, which could lead customers to breaching their contracts. According to Salmon, T-Mobile disallows jailbreaking, running VoIP, instant messaging, and VPN applications as part of its subscriber contract. Salmon notes, however, that sipgate only works via WiFi (and not GPRS or EDGE), and therefore does not run on T-Mobile's network. He says, "for the time being our users are safe." sipgate doubts the legal veracity of the argument, and said it does not plan to comply with the order. Salmon said "we may need to fight this all the way through the courts." He also suggests that it's largely a government policy issue for Germany, and wants to lobby for a net-neutral environment for telecom carriers. Tempest in a teacup? Apparently, it's a big deal in Germany. What, if any, "chilling effect" this will have on other VoIP software providers remains to be seen.
sipgate offers VoIP service for iPhone
San Francisco-based sipgate, Inc. is offering software for your jailbroken iPhone to make and receive VoIP calls using any SIP-compatible VoIP service. The service appears to be similar to those offered by Fring and PhoneGnome. The service is in early beta stage, with several caveats mentioned on its FAQ page. You won't be alerted to incoming calls unless the software is running, which drains the battery with some quickness. The company also promises revisions for the upcoming App Store. It's unclear if the setup suffers the same kind of delay and echo problems that other VoIP solutions do. Plus, it may eat your firstborn. Seriously. It says it right there. If you're interested in testing out the product, sipgate is also throwing in 111 free minutes if you sign up for their own VoIP service. The software is free, and requires iPhone firmware 1.1.4. Thanks, Martin!
