Cellcos yanking VoIP from subsidized Nokia phone

If you're not smart about how the cellular business works, you might want to educate yourself because some cellcos have gotten the bright idea of crippling VoIP-able cell phones. There are reports out of England that Orange and Vodafone (which owns just under half of Verizon Wireless) have disabled the VoIP capabilities of the high-end Nokia N95 handset. One commentator cites a cellco official as saying it would make no sense for a carrier to subsidize a phone that came configured in a way that would undermine the business model of the subsidizing company. You can still buy an "unneutered" N95 with the VoIP hooks intact; you'll just pay more for it because a friendly cellco won't be paying any of the freight.

For more about the VoIP-less N95s:
- read this article

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