Friday, May 13, 2005

Skype as MVNO

In a few recent posts I've expressed concerns that, through SkypeOut and SkypeIn, Skype may have exposed itself to a number of regulatory complications at national level in many of the countries where its users live. Andy has found evidence that they are moving to shape the regulatory debate in the US, indicating that the company is indeed sensitive to its exposure.

I particularly like the revelation on page 2 that:

"Indeed, Skype is planning to integrate its IP offerings with its own WiFi
handsets and will support the provision of reliable user location information to
emergency services when consumers buy those handsets."


I draw from this that the mobile strategy may go way beyond deals like iMate and Motorola, perhaps encompassing an outright branded MVNO-type service. Preposterous, you say? Skype's head of operations and paid services, named in the document, is ex-Tele2 and a savvy pioneer of the MVNO space.

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