A Skype executive told Reuters that the company has no plans to release a Skype client for mobile phones in the near future. While the company has signed a deal with British mobile provider “3″ to offer a mobile version of its software, it is reliant on the fact that “3″ offers a flat rate for data access, something no other carrier is currently offering.
Until we see more flat rate data plants, it’s unlikely that Skype will release any kind of mobile verssion of its software. Eric Lagier, the company’s hardware and software business development chief, indicated that the decision is partly based on ensuring customers do not run up high data bills.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where we say: ‘Skype is free’ and then at the end of the month the user gets this huge broadband bill,” he told the news service.
Despite its reservations, Skype may be forced to act by its competitors. UK-based Truphone, has already released software that allows users to place VOIP calls on WI-FI enabled Nokia mobile phones. The Nokia phones act as a normal mobiles, using a service providers cell network, until the encounter a WI-FI hotspot. Nokia recently announced new WI-FI phones at the CES show in Las Vegas.
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