EU May Force Carriers to Allow VOIP

The European Union (EU) is preparing binding guidelines which would force wireless carriers to allow VoIP services such as Skype to run on their networks, according to TG Daily.

EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding stated that “action” should be taken against carriers that use their market power to block “innovative services.”

The decision of wireless carriers across Europe to prevent Voice-over-IP applications from taking advantage of traditional cellular network connections has struck a nerve with the EU. A report published by Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper states that the EU has already prepared a draft that would open smartphones to VoIP services. However, “the wording is not as clear as the EU would want it to be,” the publication said.

This action by the EU was sparked when T-Mobile decided to ban usage of an iPhone Skype application. T-Mobile's restrictions sent the online community into an uproar.

Read More