Date: Monday, October 29, 2007
3 Unveil Eagerly Awaited Skype Phone
Mobile phone provider 3 is to revolutionise Internet phone services by launching the first mass market Skype-specific mobile phone in the UK. The handset will connect to the Skype Internet phone service at the push of a button, allowing 3 users to benefit from free UK Internet calls. They will also be able to use Skype’s instant messaging service.
Skype is a web-based telephony service with 246 million registered users worldwide. It offers free UK calls and reduced rates for global calls, although it is thought that 3 users will be unable to take advantage of the latter.
Many mobile phone companies have refused to work alongside Internet telephone companies, as they believe offering free Internet calls would damage their profits. However, 3 have realised the potential of Internet calls and, as 3 Chief Executive Kevin Russell said, they believe “services need to be simple to access and affordable.” Skype services do work on some mobile phone handsets yet to use the service, many users have to download third party software. As 3’s new hand set is specially designed for use with Skype, it makes accessing the service easier than ever.
Michael Van Swaaij, Skype CEO, has praised 3 for embracing Internet calling and creating a handset that makes the Skype service easy to use. He said: “It take an innovative operator…to challenge traditional thinking and offer the kind of product other operators are still shying away from.” However, some critics have challenged 3’s decision to get involved with Skype, pondering why the mobile phone provider has chosen to embrace a service offering free calls. However, it is thought that 3, the UK’s newest mobile phone network, hope to gain plenty of new customers by offering the free calls.
3’s Skype service will be offered to customers on monthly contracts and to pre-pay customers who top-up their mobile phones by more than £10 per month.
Sources:
BBC News
Guardian
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