Since last November, we’ve been hearing buzzing noises about “OTT services” being “preferentially charged” by telcos. What this means in plainspeak is that if you make a call using Skype, believing that it’s “free“, you could actually end up being charged more by your telecom provider than if you had made the call by phone. This move by the telcos comes as no surprise, at least to people who understand that someone is as likely to give you free communication as they are to give you free beer or a free lunch.
From the telecom providers point of view, revenues that were earlier available through international calling are now being eaten into by services like Skype and they are simply trying their best to put up a fight.