skype inks deal with 3g operator

good news for skype, as they introduced their first partnership with a cellular network operator yesterday. german provider e-plus will bundle the skype software with their flat-rate 3g data subscription.

although it's still a far cry away from being included by a handset manufacturer, it's definitely a start. i guess handset manufacturers aren't waiting in line to include skype software on their devices, out of fear of being boycotted by the network operators. after all, it will be cutting operator revenues.

it's not entirely clear to me, how e-plus will benefit from this deal. they may get more data subscriptions out of this but it will inevitably replace the, higher-margin, voice subscriptions customers already had. it's good to see that at least some operators have what it takes to move forward, rather than try and squeeze every cent out of their customers before moving on to a cheaper price plan.