Tuesday, May 01, 2007

UK: Vodafone Faces Legal Action Over VoIP Blocking

Peter Judge writes on TechWorld (UK):

Mobile operator Vodafone could face legal action over its efforts to cripple VoIP on mobile phones.

"We believe Vodafone's stance is not lawful, and we are considering our position," said James Tagg chief executive of Truphone. Vodafone is failing to meet interconnection obligations, and blocking competing websites, he said, as well as disabling Internet telephony on handsets.

Vodafone is refusing to connect calls to Truphone's range of mobile numbers, Tagg says, in breach of telecoms regulation. Truphone has a range of numbers (beginning 07978 8XXXXX) with which it can function as an actual mobile operator - so that Truphone numbers appear in a phone's call log, and can receive SMS messages. Unfortunately, Vodafone customers will simply find that calls to those numbers are blocked, whether they are made over WiFi or the Vodafone network, says Tagg.

The operator is also blocking VoIP websites including Skype, to users of its mobile Internet service, says Tagg - a move which would be against EU competition regulations, he says: "European telecoms legislation, gives operators an obligation to interconnect, and to offer unfettered access to services."

More here.

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