After landing last month on the Apple iPhone, the free voice-over-IP Skype service will next month come to the 3 UK mobile network.
From 1 May prepay 3 customers will be able to use unlimited Skype minutes and instant messenger services without having to pay, as long as they have a compatible handset and a £2 SIM card from the operator.
Kevin Russell, CEO of 3 UK said, “In future you will be able to buy a 3 SIM for unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls for less than the price of a cup of coffee and talk for as much as you want without ever paying us another penny. We won’t ask you for a top-up or a monthly commitment.”
3 explains the thinking behind the move, saying that it has found that regular Skype users are less likely to churn than non-Skype users, use more traditional voice minutes than non-Skype users in addition to calling their Skype contacts, and use Skype IM, but also send more SMS than non-Skype users.
