Verizon, Skype to unveil deal at MWC
updated 02:30 pm EST, Fri February 12, 2010
Verizon may follow AT&T and OK Skype on 3G
Verizon at mid-day say it would hold a press gathering with Skype on Tuesday. Neither company has said what the event will involve. However, it's believed the unveiling will see Verizon allow Skype on 3G and possibly preload the app on some phones.
The announcement by itself would signal a continued warming to voice over IP by US carriers. Previously, most cellular providers in the US would often ban apps like Skype or make it difficult to use these outside of Wi-Fi; they have often cited legitimate concerns like high latency and less reliable 3G speeds, but critics have also charged that carriers also want to restrict technology that reduces the need for costlier voice plans.
FCC scrutiny over competitive practices helped lead AT&T to allow VoIP on 3G for iPhones, with Skype as one of the first to enable the extra functionality.
