"Harry Stottle" <sorryspamdoesntwork@nospam.uk.co> wrote in message
news:WSvFj.4294$6R1.930@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>
> "RH" <rh@no-spicedham.exelsys.com> wrote in message
> news:fs61at$ei6$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...
>>
>> "Harry Stottle" <sorryspamdoesntwork@nospam.uk.co> wrote in message
>> news:q2qFj.3546$6R1.1904@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>>>I was considering taking out a mobile broadband service and was
>>>looking through the options. T-mobile are advertising their
>>>Web'n'Walk service at £15.00/month for 3 GB, but when I dug through a
>>>couple of layers of small print, I found the following
>>> <Quote> We do not permit use of this service for internet phone
>>> calls</Quote>
>>> Link http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/fairuse/
>>> This seems like a restrictive practice to me, a mobile phone company
>>> providing a different type of service, but banning users of that
>>> service from using it in a way that could result in competition to
>>> their main service. How do others see this, and does anyone know if
>>> this could be challenged legally, because if T-Mobile are allowed to
>>> get away with banning internet phone calls through their broadband
>>> service, then I can see VoIP being increasingly threatened.
>>
>> This is fair enough as far as I can see, as long as they tell you in
>> advance can not see an issue with this. They offer a service
>> and is up to user to agree if they want it or not. Why would any
>> company offer a service which would cut their core business
> So what would happen if BT and Virgin Media decided they were not
> going to allow VoIP over their services?
> VoIP would be severely limited, making it unavailable to the masses
> just to protect the profits of the big companies.
>


Since both BT and VM supply business users with line phones using VOIP,
the words kettle and black come to mind.

On the other hand, unless they make a fundamental change to their
contracts - and to which you as the user would have to agree - I suspect
they may be on a sticky wicket legally if they tried port blocking.
Unfair Contract Terms might come into it, and even the Competition
Commission may have something to say - and that ignores the useless
OffCom (deliberate misspelling) within who's bailiwick it would fall.


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com