'Skype not blocked in China'

Skype is not being blocked in China and the VoIP company is hopeful it will soon offer its SkypeOut service in the country, according to press reports.

Last week US-based Verso Technologies said a "tier-one carrier based in China" had started a paid trial of the company's web filtering product to prevent the use of Skype and other P2P applications.

But, according to the FT, Skype knows of no Chinese telecoms operator using Verso's product and Skype CEO Niklas Zennström called the move a "smart PR trick".

Chinese people can use Skype's software to make free PC-to-PC calls but so far Skype has not been able to offer its PC-to-telephone service, SkypeOut, in the country due to regulatory restrictions.

Zennström, however, told the FT the company is in talks with the Chinese government and operators about SkypeOut. "We have quite a good relationship with the operators here in China and are in dialogue with them," he said. "I am optimistic we will be able to launch the SkypeOut service in China."

Skype's Chinese ventures are managed by its Hong Kong-based partner Tom Online.

Regarding reports that SkypeOut could not be used in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, a Tom Online executive said it seemed the Shenzhen network blocked all types of P2P traffic, not just Skype, according to the FT.

Also today, Skype announced a deal with Singaporean ISP Pacific Internet to offer Skype services on the island-state.

A new portal called PacNet-Skype will be launched later this year and PacNet will provide customer support, sales and marketing, and distribution for Skype's software and SkypeOut service.

ZDNet Asia staff contributed to this report