Truphone has alleged that mobile phone operators are chocking the growth of VoIP industry. The allegation is apparently against the two leading mobile giants, Vodafone and Orange who removed VoIP services from Nokia N95 devices a week ago.
James Tagg, CEO of Truphone strongly objected,
Preventing consumer choice is protectionism in disguise - it’s subsidy abuse. We’re at the dawn of the mobile internet era and consumers should get an open playing field and not a walled garden. If the mobile network operators start blocking services they don’t like there will be no incentive for anyone to innovate. You may own the handset, but they’ll own you.
Truphone, which provides its VoIP services in the host number of Nokia phones including E61i, E65, E90 and N95 has asserted that it will move to European regulators against the mobile phone operators if the issue was not solved.
Truphone also complains the removal of VoIP services from mobile devices violates net neutrality law that ensures Internet providers do not confine customers to specific products, services or content.
