AT&T to iPhone Users: Skype Away

Skype, Vonage and a host of other VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone services enable super-cheap communication -- Skype charges a couple bucks per month for unlimited calls to anyone in the United States. It's a cheaper but less robust connection than a landline or cellular line, however the technology has improved enough to make it a serious contender.

The only problem is that -- until just a few years ago -- VoIP users had to make and receive calls using their computers, since it requires an Internet connection. But thanks to so-called smartphones with Wi-Fi connectivity, essentially handheld computers, users can bypass the more-expensive cellular network and use available Wi-Fi hotspots to make calls.

Since the iPhone and similar devices also access 3G broadband networks, users technically should be able to use VoIP services whether or not they're within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot. But prior to just a couple of days ago, AT&T blocked iPhone users from using its 3G network for Skype and its ilk, which of course are third-party applications with the potential to eat into the telecommunication giant's profits.

Under pressure from federal regulators, who may apply net neutrality rules to wireless broadband networks as well as wired ones, AT&T reversed its stance, according to the San Jose Mercury News, Information Week and a host of other news outlets. That's good news for consumers, since it gives them choices and might save iPhone users some cash.

And that's what I'm curious about: If iPhone users make Skype calls over AT&T's 3G network, aren't they already getting charged for using the network? Or does the 3G access fee cover an "all-you-can-eat" model? I don't have an iPhone, so perhaps one of our dear readers can enlighten me.

What I'd like to see, though, is an iPod Touch equipped with a microphone. Granted, it would be limited to Wi-Fi connectivity, but I'd much rather pay for the Touch once (no long-term contract, as with the iPhone) and then make super-cheap Skype calls on the device.

Rumors that Apple was planning to do just that never materialized, but it looks like third-party manufacturers already beat the company to the punch. For now, at least, I'll stick to the free phone that came with my cellular plan (it has a built-in camera!).

Image courtesy of Skype