Bully tact and lack of strategy forces Swedish Telecom operators to want to block Skype usage

Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Swedish telecom operators are looking for ways to stop their customers from making free calls via services such as Skype and Viber. "We must take payment," said Charlotte Züger at Telia to radio Sweden.

A new report from the EU Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) shows that several telephone companies are to block their users from using the phone services like Skype and Viber.

The companies argue that they are losing money because people are using such free services.
“Once we have developed the technical functionality to separately manage mobile IP telephony, then we will apply our terms and then it will mean that in a subscription which is not included, it will not work,” says Charlotte Züger, Communications Manager on Telia's mobile services to radio sweden.

“I simply believe that we must be able to charge for various services, no matter what, for the different subscriptions are different things.”

But the question is whether such blocking is acceptable. Critics point out that there is a threat to neutrality and the EU Commission is currently looking at whether to prohibit this type of restriction placed by the telecom companies.

Swedish MEP, Gunnar Hökmark (Moderate) is very hesitant about the companies' plans.
“whether one will have to legislate or not, it keeps me open. But I would prefer from the beginning that there should be an openness that makes you never to want to take to the agent,” says Hökmark.

Ofcourse if such a thing is to be proposed, Skype and the free internet based providers phone services will also have to fight back.

It should be noted that these free internet based phone systems have been in place for many years and have been fully entrenched in technological developments. It should also be able for one to believe that Telia and the rest want to force people into using their products which have intense exorbitant prices and poor services. This will also means that creativity and competition has been taken over by bully companies such as Telian and the like.
By Scancomark.se Team

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