Vodafone: We Don’t Ban VoIP On Data Cards

Vodafone says that customers using their 3G data cards and laptops with connections to it’s network are able to run a soft VoIP phone and use it, but they monitor usage to avoid it being used as a gateway.  There are estimates that Vodafone already has a subscription base of some 1 million customers who use their data cards with major growth expected as manufacturers begin shipping more laptops with a connection to the Vodafone network built it out-of-the-box.

Clearly Vodafone, and other data-plan providers, are at a crossroads here with this issue.  Allow their customers to use their data plan to make VoIP calls and retain the customer, or ban the use altogether and face a backlash and customers moving to another supplier.

Wireless carriers have in the past been strongly against customers using their network for VoIP.  When T-Mobile announced it’s 3.5G service in early 2006, it specifically banned customers from using Skype and other VoIP services.  Vodafone say that they “don’t ban VoIP”, which is clearly a step in the right direction.