The UK’s phone networks will eventually buckle and begin integrating VoIP services like Skype into the phones they sell. That’s the view of one T-Mobile boss anyway, and since he’s in charge of the network’s internet services, we’re inclined to believe him.
We spoke to T-Mobile head of internet and entertainment, Richard Warmsley, at the launch of the T-Mobile Pay Once package for BlackBerry, and quizzed him over the war brewing between mobile networks and internet phone services.
Warmsley said that “most customers don’t use VoIP services at the moment,” but after a bit of pressing, admitted: “I think over time that’ll be integrated.”
Warmsley wouldn’t say when or if we’d see Skype being welcomed into the T-Mobile fold officially, as has been the case with its rival, Three. But the T-Mobile chief’s attitude is poles apart from O2 and Orange top brass, who were enraged at Nokia‘s plans to preload the N97 with Skype recently.
T-Mobile already allows VoIP over 3G with its Web ‘n’ Walk packages, but doesn’t yet offer the software required as standard. We’d love to see a competitor to Three and INQ, bringing low cost Skype access to the masses. Who knows? Maybe T-Mobile will be the network to do that.
Out TBC | £TBC | T-Mobile
