Filed under: Wireless, Apple, iPhone, App Store
Business Insider: AT&T to allow VoIP on its 3G network
Business Insider is reporting that AT&T has given Apple the go-ahead to enable Voice over IP (VoIP) apps such as Skype on its 3G network. In the past, VoIP apps required a Wi-Fi connection. The announcement was made in advance of the annual conference sponsored by CTIA - The Wireless Association. AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega is scheduled to give a keynote at the conference tomororw and could use the event to further elaborate on their intentions.
The announcement is most likely a response to recent events at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which is proposing new rules that would prohibit carriers from blocking apps on their networks.
A public announcement by AT&T stating that they will allow apps such as Skype on their network would remove any doubt that it's the company that is doing the blocking, and put the spotlight firmly on Apple to explain why they're not approving VoIP apps. As noted yesterday, VoIP provider Vonage has made its app available in the App Store, although ratings after the first day probably make them wish they hadn't...
It should be noted that the announcement will likely have no bearing on the fate of Google Voice, which was rejected by Apple on the grounds that it duplicates functionality already found in the iPhone. The Google Voice app allows users to control their Google Voice account, send SMS messages and check voicemails, but does not provide any VoIP functionality.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Dave said 5:40PM on 10-06-2009
Ummm, I thought it was already revealed by Apple that their agreement with AT&T doesn't allow voip apps over the cellular network.
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Dorv said 5:42PM on 10-06-2009
And this is announcing a possible change in that policy ... Right?
WiLLGT09 said 6:23PM on 10-06-2009
"AT&T doesn't allow"...they do now obviously
Chopper said 2:44PM on 10-07-2009
Ummm... read the article dumb ass.
MacGuffin said 1:22PM on 10-07-2009
It's interesting that AT&T would finally bow to politcal and consumer pressure. They seemed to be doing everything possible to protest their revenue streams, as you would expect with a company that grew up as a monopoly. It's a corporate mindset problem really.
The other interesting thing is that AT&T is discontinuing its CallVantage service (on Nov 17) and it could have developed/migrated this service to a mobile application. They have abandoned +1 million plus lines in the face of huge churn rates in their traditional POTS.
bleaus said 6:05PM on 10-06-2009
They've already announced it.
http://twitter.com/ATTNews/statuses/4665359691
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DA623 said 6:22PM on 10-06-2009
Its about time. I am sure their worried about the FCC slamming down on them since what they were doing was EXTREMELY against Net Neutrality, aka controlling what apps can and cannot use the 3G data period. So very nice, and victory for the FCC and the users here.
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Andy said 6:43PM on 10-06-2009
This should be interesting. Hopefully it won't completely clog their network with everyone trying to make calls for free via Skype. That being said, it might be a good time to sign up for an unlimited-to-landline Skype plan that runs about $5/month in the US.
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Amaresh said 2:37PM on 10-07-2009
http://skype.com/allfeatures/subscriptions/uscanada/
actually it's 2.95$
SD said 8:26PM on 10-06-2009
I'm sure the fine print for all of this will be "We support VoIP on our network, but we're going to raise you monthly bill in the process".
I really wish Google had had the winning bid for the 700Mhz FCC auction. Then we would have had at least once wireless carrier on the side of it's users.
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Nick said 9:12PM on 10-06-2009
I smell AT&T exclusivity coming to an end... God, I love free market competition!
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levar said 10:15PM on 10-06-2009
Ok so let me get this straight.......... Att finally caved to the pressure (the fcc and the bad press) to finally allow voip on its network.... Only thing I can say is be careful what you wish for. If the reports are true that the att network can barely handle a convention without a mishap.... what happens when all of the iphone owners are using voip ...
I hope those upgrades ATT recently announced upgrades to their network can handle the increased data traffic. Or a week after the first voip finds its way to the app store, the blogsphere and forums are going to be filled with bitter angry people.
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ChaRleS said 10:23PM on 10-06-2009
Rather than allow more traffic on it , At&t should be working harder on improving their network here in NYC. In midtown my iphone is useless during weekdays , cannot make a phone call and have no access to data. Should never have left verizon and am actually looking into picking up a touch pro 2 , the iphone is a great phone but At&t's service is horrendous.
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Jack said 10:47PM on 10-06-2009
SlingPlayer???????
:) :) :)
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Dave said 9:00AM on 10-07-2009
Agreed. This is way more important than Skype (to me).
Drifter71 said 8:06AM on 10-07-2009
C'mon TUAW. Please find a way to filter this kind of crap. These ads are getting more and more frequent.
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THJ said 11:22AM on 10-07-2009
Sweet, another app I can watch spin. The Youtube spin is starting to get boring.
FWIW, they could allow bittorrent and video conferencing on the iPhone and it won't matter in most metro areas, the network is way too slammed.
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Yuusharo said 3:47PM on 10-07-2009
I don't think allowing VOiP over the network would be anywhere as taxing as say allowing slingbox or bittorrent. Since you're going over the same channels as Voice on the 3G network, using data for VOiP for a phone call probably wouldn't be any worse than talking over the regular line. Not allowing voip was simply to protect AT&T's current model of voice AND data, but I have a feeling in the future, voice won't be a separate charge. More and more devices are benefiting from wireless data, and its only a matter of time before everything we do on a phone, including calls, is done via data.
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MacGuffin said 5:39PM on 10-07-2009
The other thing to consider is that iPhone customers are paying $30/month for broadband access.
Even through we heavy users — I think I read that we use 3x as much as the avg smartphone customer — we are paying 50% of what the $60 5GB data plan costs.
Therefore, we should be able to use 2.5 GB capacity without AT&T bitching and complaining. I used 600 MB last month, which is alot more than I used with my 2G iPhone. And I should be able to use it for anything I want as long as I pay my bill.
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Ron said 6:00PM on 10-07-2009
How about Rogers now??? They need to do something to stick out from the crowd (Telus and Bell) now that there's actually some competition in Canada.
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