Nokia makes Skype freely available, 02 not happy
By Wilson • Mar 4th, 2010 • Category: Nokia
- Photo: Nokia
In embracing online technology – and inadvertently slighting its carrier partners – Nokia announced Skype is available as a free download on their Ovi Store. Now, in the wake of that, it seems the UK carrier O2 might block Skype usage on its network.
On Symbian, too
Nokia and Skype have released a version of Skype that will be available on its ailing Symbian platform, allowing users to connect Skype-to-Skype with mobile data on their packages.
Carrier conflict
- Photo: Skype
Whereas Verizon Wireless, a US telecoms company that is partly owned by the Vodafone Group, embraced Skype by announcing availability of the app for users who purchased tailored data plans, O2 in the UK is not so happy about it. In a statement that reeks of marketing speech, Techradar reports the justification 02 gave them for not supporting Skype was in line with their excessive use policy on unlimited data plans.
Boiled down, what O2 is saying without saying it is they don’t want people using Skype exclusively instead of the more expensive voice calling options provided by the carrier that a large portion of the network’s revenue comes from. In stark contrast to O2’s policy, Vodafone in the UK released a statement saying they don’t have a problem with their users using Skype on their network. What’s more, they are readying specific packages to suit VOIP users.
It’s all revenue, ultimately
This touches on a theme that’s been discussed at length but in a different context – switching revenue models from one medium to a web-based medium is proving costly to large entrenched industries around the globe. An unlimited data plan which amounts to more calls (for less money) than voice calls costs will cripple any network if a mass exodus toward this form of communication was observed. The trick for the mobile phone carriers is to plug this hole and come up with creative plans, like Vodafone seems intent on doing. Whether 02 will hold steady against Skype and Nokia with a strategy that seems aloof remains unknown.
Tags for this article: Nokia, vodafone
