3 UK promises free mobile Skype calls until the end of time

While most carriers are having quite a tift about Skype intruding on their territory, UK-based 3 is letting customers use unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls and messages without any extra fees. The new rules start May 1st for any compatible 3 headset, and later this summer it'll expand to every 3G phone on the network. The company says it sees the initiative as a win to everyone, not just the customers, as the hope is it'll lessen calls to people on other networks, which carries a hefty Mobile Termination Rate fee. Whatever the reasons, we're just happy to see at least one company embracing the VoIP service. We (and Nokia) can only hope this move is somehow contagious.

[Via GigaOM]

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2009 3:18AM]

"...as the hope is it'll lessen calls to people on other networks, which carries a hefty Mobile Termination Rate fee..."

Wait, what?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2009 9:34AM]

Termination Rate fee means the carrier has to pay the other carrier in order to reach someone on the other network...

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2009 9:29AM]

Now we need something like this in the US

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2009 9:45AM]

"it'll expand to every 3G phone on the network."

3 only has 3G phones...

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2009 2:19PM]

"3 only has 3G phones..."

But not every 3G phone on the network is a 3 phone.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2009 2:19PM]

Exactly!

[kalleboo Posted Apr 26th 2009 2:54PM]

Jonathan/Jack: I have no idea about 3 UK, but 3 Sweden's SIM cards are USIM-only, and if you try to use them in a GSM phone you just get "Emergency calls only".

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 30th 2009 12:30AM]

Um... Last time I used 3 my phone would show "3 (2G)" when I forced the phone over to GSM mode.