Mobile Networks Featured Article

About a day since Apple (News - Alert) launched its latest gadget, the iPad, in San Francisco, we’re hearing a lot of oohs and ahs about the fact that VoIP over 3G is finally, officially allowed on iPhone and iPad devices.

One of those stoked about 3G connectivity and allowance of VoIP over the network is TMC’s (News - Alert) own gadget blogger (and CTO) Tom Keating.

Translating Apple’s modified iPhone/iPod SDK, Keating noted that “Apple is basically saying to developers ‘feel free to create VoIP over 3G apps, just make sure you state in the EULA that the end user must not violate any third party agreement, i.e. a carrier saying you can't do VoIP over 3G.’ But most users ignore EULAs anyway, so even if the carriers ‘ask you not to do VoIP over 3G’ the carriers would be hard pressed to punish their users for using VoIP over 3G. Why? Because at least in the U.S. the FCC (News - Alert) would be all over them.

The pertinent part of the SDK is as follows:

3.3. 23 Because some mobile network operators may prohibit or restrict the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) functionality over their network, such as the use of VoIP telephony over a cellular network, and may also impose additional fees, or other charges in connection with VoIP, You agree to inform end-users, prior to purchase, to check the terms of agreement with their operator, for example, by providing such notice in the marketing text that You provide accompanying Your Application on the App Store.

 

9. Third Party Terms of Agreement: You must state in the EULA that the end-user must comply with applicable third party terms of agreement when using Your Application, e.g., if You have a VoIP application, then the end-user must not be in violation of their wireless data service agreement when using Your Application.