By Gemma Simpson, 29 September 2006 16:35
NEWS
Skype has announced it has no timetable for the roll out of Mobile Skype, due to unforeseen technical difficulties and a lack of suitable handsets.
The internet telephony company is developing the service for the Symbian operating system, used by Nokia amongst others, Niklas Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder told Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
However, Zennström added that he hadn't realised the number of technical obstacles which stand in the way, with mobile Skype becoming a more challenging venture than he envisaged.
The service was originally slated for release last year, using handsets made by Nokia and other vendors.
A version of Skype is available for some mobile devices using Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system but uptake of the service has been slow.
eBay acquired Skype last year for $2.6bn and in April said it had more than 100 million registered users.
At the time of writing, Skype had not responded to calls for comment.
Comments
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1. R. Pettengill
Well it looks like a a napsteresque dose of reality has finally hit skype upside the head. let me guess - the OS can't do the call setup properly without authentification from the USIM? Oops, the operator owns that. I guess will have to start hearing about a net neutrality debate for mobile operators. I guess the post-napster hangover may have finally arrived for skype and others of its ilk.
2. anonymous
Am i reading this correctly
Skype on a mobile device.
I am struggling to work out where the benifit would be, when you have 200 'free' minutes of talk time and no 'free' data allowance a month.
Would it not be better to make a convensional phone call or wait till you get home or to the office and use skype from there where your data is included in the broadband price.
3. Kjetil S
You're both wrong.
@R. Pettengill: Skype doesn't initiate a call locally on the network. It uses voice over ip to transfer sound to a server which then routes it into the correct phone network (over simplified).
@Anonymous:
More and more phones support wireless lan so using skype on the cell phone will in many situations be free (or cheap with skype out).
Not to mention that some (atleast my carrier) has a price cap on how much they charge per day, and it won't take many minutes to save whatever I use on the 3G connection if I call international.