So if they connect you to the cell proveder using existing tech then surly they can justify charging you the normal price ?

I'm sceptical.

Come on, let's have the story behind this story. Have 3 got so much capacity in the pipe they can monetise VoIP separately on top of their broadband service? Or is everyone signed up to their mobile broadband due for a degraded user experience?

Do kiss and tell.

Lets wait and see. At least they are trying to merge the 2 techs for consumers benefit.

Instead, Look what Vodafone and others are doing? Crippling N95 handsets (off Skype) hoping you will keep paying them stupid and obscene amounts and maintain their stranglehold and hope client inertia to carry them minting.

It was 3 network who rattled the market with Inclusive 500 minutes and texts at about £15 per month before the rest started to imitate inclusive deals, trying catchup. Was getting a bit cosy for them!

I just hope its a big shakeup there and VOIP is standard fare henceforth as part of the package. Well done 3.

At least 3 mobile are doing things to make themselves stand out from the crowd, I've recently switched to them and they must have loads of bandwidth because even on PAYG you can was full length 90 minutes movies on the phone for free.

It's about time a company like three embraced VOIP, fixed rate internet, etc

Although I'd prefer SIP to Skype

A 3G sector does much fewer VOIP than 3G voice calls

Latency on VOIP on 3G/HSDPA is bad.

The existing handsets have a remote Skype proxy connected to by 3G voice this makes sense for a phone operator.

A handset with a "real" Skype client only makes sense for an ISP with lots of WiFi points and/or a real IP mobile network like WiMax, WiBro or Flash-OFDM who wants to roam to HSUPA.

Since 3's IP network offering in Ireland seems in many cases worse than dialup I'm totally baffled by the logic of this.

Give me a phone with SIP on any day. My phone has, although I did have to debrand it in order to get my preferred VoIP service to work.

The other day I had to sit in a hold queue for over an hour over said VoIP connection. When I finally got to speak to a human bean, there was no trouble at all. Could a Skype call have coped with that?

I suspect not.

Regards

Neil

It says 3 UK.

People need to bear in mind that 3 UK have had longer to develop the network than 3 Ireland (activated July 2005 according to the GSMA website), 3 UK went live in March 2003 so have had over a two year head start (though I'm still not convinced that they are any good based on what friends who have signed up with them have told me)

It has also taken ages for telecoms operators in Ireland to even think about deploying DSL and of course the geography does not lend itself to the use of microwave for backhaul so deplying a data infrastructure in Ireland is quite challenging I imagine.

Hang on, I already run Skype on my Windows phone and it doesn't me an extra penny. I don't get it.

"2MB camera"? Awesome, that means I can store hundreds of cameras on my W950i - who said it wasn't a camera phone?

Also, I don't think 3 offer 'true' Skype/VoIP, as their data network (like any mobile data network IIRC) has horrible latencies for real-time uses. Instead, the handset calls a 3-network number (the "Skype Service", or something), and all the translation to VoIP is done at the network operator's end, like.

The handset looks nice too - would Paris Hilton use one? :o

Details of the Skype offering are here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7066271.stm. I've been using a product called vyke for about 6 months now. Its not tied into any mobile phone (works on any java/wifi enabled mobile) You can call to any location unlike Skype. Calls to UK landlines are free. Its halved my phone bill.

I too am a Vyke User. Have been for some time. Would recommend people (looks like they got in before SKYPE).