CTIA: Skype over Verizon goes live today... but it's not really VoIP

Verizon Wireless and Skype announced that the Internet VoIP provider's embedded mobile app would be available on smartphones today. 

Speaking at a press conference at CTIA Wireless 2010, Russ Shaw, general manager of Mobile for Skype, said the app was built from the ground up in collaboration with Verizon and that the value of the app was "free and truly unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls," low-cost international calls and the ability to receive Skype calls on the go without being tethered to a PC.

As we've previoulsy noted, particularly at the IT-Expo show, Skype has been skeptical about the ability for 3G networks to handle VoIP calls. Thus, while the calls will not count against Verizon customers' voice calling plans, every Skype Mobile call on Verizon will be made over the existing, circuit switched network rather than the EV-DO data network using VoIP. So keep holding your breath mobile VoIP fans because it seems like we still have a ways to go.

For more:
- read this over at FierceWireless [1]

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