All Articles Tagged att approves voip

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

Join Chad and Rene for AT&T’s VoIP over 3G announcement, Flash on iPhone and Jailbreak updates, and all the week’s news and views! Listen in!

Congratulations to Greg who gets an XGear Nitrous Oxide Case courtesy of the TiPb iPhone Accessory Store. You never know when they’re going to give something away, so join us live for your chance to win!

(And remember, you can watch live on your iPhone via the Ustream Viewer app [Free - iTunes link] as well!)

Read the rest of this entry »

What does AT&T’s announcement today, regarding a change of policy to allow VoIP applications like Skype to operate over the 3G network mean for Google Voice in the App Store and SlingPlayer over 3G?

Nothing.

Not to rain on our many commenters and emailers parades, but AT&T’s VoIP policy has nothing to do with either of those apps because:

1. Google Voice was rejected/is still under review by Apple, not by AT&T. All parties have clearly stated AT&T has played and is playing absolutely no role in keeping Google Voice out of the App Store. That ball is still firmly in Apple’s court, and it will take movement from them, and them alone, to bring it to the App Store when — and if — they decide to pull the trigger.

2. SlingPlayer sends your home TV video over 3G, and clearly has nothing to do with VoIP. AT&T has a distinct and separate policy forbidding the use of apps like SlingPlayer on their 3G network. Unless and until AT&T changes that second, specific policy as well, no SlingPlayer over 3G for you. (And seriously, given AT&T is dropping 30% of calls in NYC as well, does anyone think their network could survive even more traffic at this point?)

So there you go. You’re getting VoIP from AT&T and Apple, no more, no less. Scratch that off the list, and if they’ve given an inch, and you hunger for a mile, keep the armor on and re-focus your battle on the next two (or more) targets.

Apple has now weighed in with regards to AT&T’s announcement today that they would be changing their policy and allowing VoIP (Voice over IP) to operate over their 3G network (something they’d previously asked Apple not to allow). When reached for comment, Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris told TiPb:

We’re very happy that AT&T is now supporting VoIP applications. We will be amending our developer agreement to get VoIP apps on the App Store and in customers’ hands as soon as possible.

Hopefully this means users on other carriers, liberated by AT&T along with the rest of us, will now also get VoIP over 3G apps. If any international carriers do decide to ban VoIP themselves at this point — yeah, we don’t see that going over well at all.

Following up on a rumor earlier today that AT&T would be announcing a new, friendlier policy towards Skype and Google Voice, Skype President Josh Silverman posted on the official Skype blog, saying “Good move, AT&T”:

All of us at Skype applaud today’s announcement by AT&T (in an FCC filing to be published shortly) that it’ll open up its 3G network to Internet calling applications such as Skype. It’s the right step for AT&T, Apple, millions of mobile Skype users and the Internet itself.

Silverman reveals that 10% of all iPhone and iPod touch devices have downloaded the Skype app (which makes roughly 5 million installs, if our math is right), and while they give AT&T the requisite kudos, Silverman states that it’s the government and industry regulation that should ensure open networks — in line with the FCC’s recent move to establish “net neutrality“.

Of course, AT&T announcements and Skype enthusiasm are one thing, let’s see how long it takes to get Skype 3G into the App Store.

(And, of course, that still leaves Google Voice)

The Washington Post is rumormongering that AT&T might just officially announce support for Skype and Google Voice on their 3G network at this week’s CTIA show, and that they will run on Apple’s iPhone.

Normally Apple and Apple alone tends to speak about what’s coming to the iPhone, so we’d dismiss this outright except for the fact that Google Voice has been an increasing thorn in Apple’s otherwise incredibly successful iPhone side as of late, especially among industry watchers, tech pundits, and… the FCC. So, getting AT&T to slide it into a CTIA announcement might just let Apple get everyone off their lawn, without having to publicly eat any crow.

AT&T has declined comment, but Smartphone Experts has editor-in-chief Dieter Bohn and fearless CrackBerry.com leader Kevin Michaluk live at CTIA this week, and TiPb has asked them to keep their ears peeled, and fingers at the ready, should anything come of this.