Mobile operators lock VoIP April 24th, 2007  

Edited – Thanks Andy for the heads-up. Much of this content came from the ZDNet article. Cheers David for the scoop.

The mobile cartels are at it again. So soon after the telecoms regulator Ofcom forced a reduction in their termination rates, they are again running scared, this time over phones that enable VoIP.

Nokia N95Orange and Vodafone today decided to remove VoIP functionality from Nokia’s N95 handset.

The feature-rich Nokia N95 supports SIP, which enables integrated IP telephony capabilities, a service that business users are increasingly demanding. Orange and Vodafone, however, have disabled that feature on their N95 handsets.

A spokesperson for Orange said it was “not Orange’s policy to remove VoIP functionality from devices. This is a handset-specific issue and, in this particular instance, Orange was asked by Nokia whether they wanted the VoIP functionality switched on or off, and Orange selected off”.

Vodafone takes a different view. “Vodafone currently does not offer a VoIP proposition that would allow its customers to have universal access to telephony services. Vodafone believes that VoIP over mobile is not yet a mature service proposition, doesn’t have guaranteed quality of service, and does not provide the customer experience demanded of any service we launch,” a spokesperson for the mobile operator said on Thursday. “There is a misleading perception that VoIP services are ‘free’. This is, however, not the case when it comes to using VoIP over mobile, where customers… may incur further charges.”

It looks to me like the mobile cartels are seeing their house falling down.

The real truth is far more simple. VoIP will enable people to call without the need to go through mobile operators. Not surprising then that they have turned off this feature.

How does this affect Rebtel?

Don’t worry – our service allows you to use your free minutes to call anyone internationally for free.

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By: admin

Ofcom Regulation – The beginning of the end for the mobile cartel April 13th, 2007  

Mobile News reported recently that telecoms regulator Ofcom has been urged by network operators to make further cuts to 3’s  termination rates, following its £500m crackdown on mobile call connection charges at the end of March.

From Sunday (April 1), networks have been subject to new charge controls, which limit the fee they can charge other telecoms companies for connecting calls on their mobile network. The reductions will be phased in during several stages between now and 2011.

3 has been hit hardest. it has been made to reduce call termination charges by 45% to 5.9 a minute. But its termination charges remain higher than those of rivals.

As I mentioned previously it’s great that consumers are demanding changes but it’s still not enough.

As a mobile VoIP provider, we see ourselves as challengers to the traditional call carriers and believe that the ‘old guard are screwed’. My colleague Hjalmar dubbed the announcement, “the beginning of the end for the mobile cartel“.

Asked by Mobile News on his opinion, he commented:

The day of customers paying through the nose for their mobile service are numbered. The EU clamping down on roaming charges, coupled with Ofcom’s enforced price cuts, signals that the old guard are screwed. It’s time for the new upstarts in mobile.

Rebtel’s revolutionary stance is making people take note – we have now been interviewed on national TV by ITV Evening News and on the radio by BBC 5 Live.

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By: admin

Let Rebtel help you save on the cost of your new Apple iPhone April 5th, 2007  

Cingular Wireless, the mobile unit of giant AT&T, just announced that they have received 1 million inquiries for the new iPhone “

On behalf of the Rebtel team, congratulations to Steve Jobs and the Apple team who have truly revolutionized the industry and are an industry power in driving convergence.

What does this mean for Rebtel?

Basically, a potential of one million more users to our agnostic “Every Mobile, Every Network” approach to international calling using VoIP technology. The new iPhone owner who will spend from $499 to $599 to purchase this beautiful work of art will need to save some money. The least that Rebtel can do is help them save on their international calls be offering very low cost, or free, calls to over 38 countries after they activate their device with Cingular.

As Rebtel is device agnostic, the user does not have to worry about any downloads that may mess up their new device. It’s just another local number for their global contacts.

The end game? The proud iPhone owner can reach over 1.3 Billion users and talk for hours about their beautiful new phone.

Stay ‘i-tuned’ ;-)

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By: admin

Rebtel speaks: Hjalmar’s presentation on Entrepeneurship April 4th, 2007  

hjalmar-at-event.JPG

Last week Hjalmar was invited to speak at the Royal Institute of Technology to discuss entrepeneurship for AIESEC.

The students were amazing – not only did they really enjoy the presentation (they even gave Hjalmar a standing ovation) but they also signed-up on mass to get Rebtel accounts.

Students, ex-pats, professionals – anyone who wants to talk with their friends, family and colleagues internationally for free from their mobiles are joining the Rebtel community.

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By: admin