

Apple loosens SDK restrictions, allows VoIP over 3G - sil3ntmac
http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/02/09/sdk.offers.new.tools.for.ipad.content/

======
patrickgzill
If VOIP over 3G is enabled, it is the beginning of the end for the profits of
the big cell phone providers. They will be relegated to being a "utility" or
commodity provider.

~~~
wmf
More likely they'll set data prices such that a VoIP call costs more than a
circuit-switched voice call. This wouldn't even be evil, since a VoIP call
uses more bandwidth than a circuit-switched call.

Also, VoIPo3G generally sucks: [http://gigaom.com/2010/01/19/iphone-the-lack-
of-voice-over-3...](http://gigaom.com/2010/01/19/iphone-the-lack-of-voice-
over-3g-alternative-theory/)

~~~
andyking
They could also do what 3 have done in the UK with Skype - all their new
phones have a 3-produced Skype app preloaded which appears to work just like
any other installation of Skype.

Behind the scenes, updating your contact list and sending / receiving IMs are
done over the data network - however, when you make or receive a Skype call
it's routed over the voice network and simply not charged.

~~~
lsb
That's crazy-backwards.

The IMs are 1kBit of data, whereas a phone call (considering voice coding at
16kBit/s for skype-ish quality) probably amount to megabytes of data having to
go at near-realtime rates.

It's good that they're still in business, I suppose.

