UKVoIPTalk.com

Few years ago all the mobile companies started charging for 0800 calls, when
in fact they get PAID by the 0800 number owner to deliver the call.
This was in response to various competitors offering cheap(er) calls via an
0800 number (e.g. OneTel).
If someone is willing to take 0800 call from a mobile and forward it to
Timbuktu is none of the business of the mobile provider !
Clearly this IS restrictive and highly anti-completive action from the
mobile providers !
Complaints were sent to Oftel, but nothing was ever done about it !
So, for the same reason, they will get away with blocking VoIP calls....,
(until maybe Ms Viviane Reading at the EU decides to force them)
Regards,
Martin

"Harry Stottle" <sorryspamdoesntwork@nospam.uk.co> wrote in message
news:q2qFj.3546$6R1.1904@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...[color=blue]
> I was considering taking out a mobile broadband service and was looking
> through the options. T-mobile are advertising their Web'n'Walk service
> at £15.00/month for 3 GB, but when I dug through a couple of layers of
> small print, I found the following
> <Quote> We do not permit use of this service for internet phone
> calls</Quote>
> Link [url]http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/fairuse/[/url]
> This seems like a restrictive practice to me, a mobile phone company
> providing a different type of service, but banning users of that service
> from using it in a way that could result in competition to their main
> service. How do others see this, and does anyone know if this could be
> challenged legally, because if T-Mobile are allowed to get away with
> banning internet phone calls through their broadband service, then I can
> see VoIP being increasingly threatened.
>
>[/color]

They all have this get-out clause.. Some of them work however and it's not a
big deal..
They do all make it clear that it's not allowed so I see nothing wrong with
it.. If they start telling lies and saying it's allowed just to get
customers onboard then there would be a big cause for concern..

If your a big user then the charges above your limit make this service
horrible.. If you were using this service as your full portal for a windows
XP machine for instance, you might spend 180£ the first month just letting
it grab patches!...

I would like to see the data rate cost go down a lot, and restrictions to
follow.. But lets face it, Mobi operators pay a lot (or did pay) for the
spectrum lisence and now they dont want to go broke due to people not making
phone calls..

"Al" <ardl02029_5@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:CDrFj.65670$M9.11341@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...[color=blue]
>
> "Gordon Henderson" <gordon+usenet@drogon.net> wrote in message
> news:fs5fru$16no$1@energise.enta.net...[color=green]
> > In article <q2qFj.3546$6R1.1904@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net>,
> > Harry Stottle <sorryspamdoesntwork@nospam.uk.co> wrote:[color=darkred]
> >>I was considering taking out a mobile broadband service and was looking
> >>through the options. T-mobile are advertising their Web'n'Walk service
> >>at £15.00/month for 3 GB, but when I dug through a couple of layers of
> >>small print, I found the following
> >><Quote> We do not permit use of this service for internet phone
> >>calls</Quote>
> >>Link [url]http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/fairuse/[/url]
> >>This seems like a restrictive practice to me, a mobile phone company
> >>providing a different type of service, but banning users of that service
> >>from using it in a way that could result in competition to their main
> >>service. How do others see this, and does anyone know if this could be
> >>challenged legally, because if T-Mobile are allowed to get away with
> >>banning internet phone calls through their broadband service, then I can
> >>see VoIP being increasingly threatened.[/color]
> >
> > It will always be "threatened" as long as it's a competing technology
> > and something that may lessen the operators revenue. It goes as far as
> > being illegal in some locations - eg. as far as I'm aware in South[/color][/color]
Africa[color=blue][color=green]
> > where the govt. is the majority shareholder in the telephone company,
> > and I've had issues in smaller (african) countries with the ISP blocking
> > VoIP ports.
> >
> > Three allows Skype calls, but not Skype-out calls as far as I'm aware -
> > obviously Skype-out is a revenue loser for them. There were early
> > reports of Vodaphone (and maybe orange?) "crippling" phones with VoIP
> > capabiltiy too - removing the VoIP parts. However my E90 does SIP very
> > well over Wi-Fi, and mybe over 3G too, but I've yet to try it.
> >
> > I do have to say though, that I'd rather use a mobile phone for GSM/3G
> > calls rather than VoIP calls - it's probably cheaper (contract[/color][/color]
depending)[color=blue][color=green]
> > and more reliable at present, but who knows in the future...
> >
> > Gordon[/color]
> As regards the smaller African countries there is a good reason for that.
> The pipe cost is prohibitive and no one really wants to open the[/color]
floodgates[color=blue]
> and make it cheaper for various reasons.
>
>[/color]

Wi-Fi is ideal for large spreads in african countrys... I know a few
companys that have spent years (well over 10) selling VoIP based Wireless
networking signals in Africa.. Solar power Phone boxes that allowed wireless
pc's (with their hardware) to pick up and use the service ;)..

But yes, there's lots of reasons for not shoving a TB of data down the
pipes of those providers, maily that they cant cope.. I doubt you would get
a data package that's even remotely similar to the one offer'd in the
UK/Europe...

I havent look'd at the american rates but knowing what they pay for phone
calls I imagine they make African Mobi Operators look cheap :P

"Al" <ardl02029_5@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:fPqFj.65445$M9.6584@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...[color=blue]
> Take the O2 service. I was led to believe initially that VoIP ports were
> blocked on that whilst their sister service Bethere did not.
> Is that still the case does anyone know?[/color]

I am using VoIP fine on O2 broadband - I take it you are not talking about
mobile broadband here...

The only port I have found they block is SMTP - but there are good reasons
for that that have nothing to do with commercial interests.

"Herman" <whitehouse.madhousetakemeout@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:fs8v4u$ft4$1@aioe.org...[color=blue]
> "Al" <ardl02029_5@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:fPqFj.65445$M9.6584@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...[color=green]
>> Take the O2 service. I was led to believe initially that VoIP ports were
>> blocked on that whilst their sister service Bethere did not.
>> Is that still the case does anyone know?[/color]
>
> I am using VoIP fine on O2 broadband - I take it you are not talking
> about mobile broadband here...
>
> The only port I have found they block is SMTP - but there are good reasons
> for that that have nothing to do with commercial interests.
>[/color]

Thanks for the clarification, Herman.