The Mobile VoIP wars just got nastier with T-Mobile UK blocking calls to Truphone Mobile VoIP (in the rest of the world, cellphones have unique area codes).
Customers on Truphone’s beta service can connect fully, but T-Mobile has blocked calls to a number range (07978 8xxxxx) on which Truphone is planning to launch a full commercial service, diverting calls to a recorded message saying they have misdialled.
Truphone is countering that by law they have to provide interconnect services which is indeed true. T-Mobile UK is arguing what type of service is Truphone, when it does not actually own and operate a mobile service. What should the payment be?. This stuff is heading to court to decide how and what mobile VoIP is. On one side is the argument that customers must have choice of which in the mobile market there is plenty, and to the carriers point that they have invested millions of dollars in infrastructure only to have so called freeloaders on their network. This is a good point to get regulators involved to fiqure out what the right position should be on this technology.
