Skype Asks FCC to Level the Playing Field

In order for this to work properly each manaufacturer is going to have to make every phone compatible with all applications, and
they're also going to have to make every phone compatible with GSM and CDMA, which is possible considering the current iden/cdma hybrid phones.

Then perhaps you can walk into a wireless store and one side you'll have your phones to choose from, and then on the other side you'll have your plans to choose from each carrier.

Then you'll really see who's the best company because then you won't have people switching carriers just because they don't like the phones being offered. it will really come down to who has the better network, plans, and customer service.

If every user switched to data-only plans and installed VoIP on their phones, the carrier would still have to get money, and they would still have to divide costs proportionally among high- and low-quantity voice users.

But it sounds like Skype actually makes a lot of arguments based on legal and technological principles, and it sure would be nice if, when carriers sold us "internet" service on our phones, we did not constantly run into unmentioned limitations on what data they want us to send or receive.

If Skype gets their way, you will be able to do more stuff with the service and device you paid for.

But the whole market is not going to magically get lower pricing in total for voice calls from any of the carriers who are routine...
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Even if Skype tried to have this passed, it wouldnt work. As we all know GSM uses sim cards and CDMA does not. You cant take a T-Mobile phone and put it on the Verizon network. (EVEN IF YOU UNLOCK IT) Unless they want to put up a ton of money for Sprint and Verizon to change their networks, its impossible! How stupid! 🤣

... of what Skype is filing over. What they are filing over can be found here...
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller? ... »
(Scroll down to the bottom of the page and read the fine print under "Unlimited Data Plan and Features")
and here...
http://www.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/legal/pla ... »
(this one is tough to find, but its under "Prohibited and Permissible Uses, III")
That’s all the fine print I’m wanting to have to sort through for right now but basically what it boils down to is the Skype is specifically prohibited from having its software installed on devices on networks with terms and conditions such as the above and ...
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Skype doesn't care about being able to use any phone on any network because this can already be done. Not too long ago a law was passed saying that phones were no longer allowed to be locked by the carriers. What does this mean? It means you can use any phone on any service as long as it uses the same technology, meaning cdma or gsm. It's actually farely simple, even for cdma phones. Now in order to use the data services you do need to get the phone flashed over and that is for cdma or gsm phones and only costs about $10-$30 to do. All Skype cares about is making money.

I mean, what Skype's suggesting is basically Utopia for all wireless users.

What carrier is going to allow the use of ANY handset and ANY application?

This is pie in the sky.

All of you have great comments and ideas but ,I dont think its even an argument that with the expansion of voip, software will become available to do voip with moblie technologies...furthermore a software mask could be loaded into anyphone that would allow you (when its running) to operate on another providers network weather cdma or gsm as long as the software can bridge the gap between the network and the phone.
If cell providers dont create this software voip companies could become the new cellular providers...With rates and data services untouchable by the excluded networks...unless they adopt or purchase the technology

I have a friend who has it and I just hate it when he calls. (and it has nothing to do with him 🤣 )

Right now, carriers prohibit users from using skype from any of their devices, including cellphones and computers. I believe skype wants customer's to be allowed to use skype while using high speed.

This petition is gonna be smacked down quicker than Ike hit Tina. Any device accessing a wireless network is detrimental to the wireless network because each device takes a tiny slice of spectrum. A skype phone phone would take a slice of the spectrum, therefore lessening the capacity of the network.

Prices would go sky high because everyone would have to switch to compatible towers & phones... & that would just be a nightmare. Switching to GSM was hard enough.

Dream on Skype.

All you need is any Windows Mobile phone with a processor over 300mhz, and an unlimited hi speed data package. I have sucessfully installed Skype on the following models:

Now Skype doesn't offer an ecat download for WM Phones... you have to tweak the files a tad.... More info below...

T-Mobile:
MDA
SDA
HTC Dash

I had to modify all of these phones to work becuase their processors wern't fast enough... but if you take the Cingular 8525 and install Skype on it you will be golden (it has a 400mhz proc on it)... Although I wouldn't reccommend using T-Mobile's data package.... well at least where I am they are EDGE... not quite fast enough for a crisp clear call.... but almost...

if anyone has any questions on how to do this email...
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In the case of landline phones everyone was using the same type of network. Although there were numerous different network providers, one phone COULD be used with any of the networks with very little effort. Not the case for cell phone providers. All this would do, should it go through, is circumvent any kind of quality testing done by the carriers. It MAY in the end lower costs to the consumer, but the quality of customer service would go even lower than it currently is.

I can see it now...
customer: "my service isn't working very well"
Provider: "The service is fine, you bought a crappy phone from someone we didn't approve"

customer calls manufacturer of Phone
customer: "my phone isn't working very well"
Manufacturer: "The ph...
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That will never happen, they are not trying to lower our prices. All they ever do is try to get more money out of whoever they can, lower our prices, bull!