Mobile service providers have had a complicated relationship with over the top applications viewed either as displacing existing revenue-generating services (carrier voice services) or imposing high loads on mobile networks (video apps and video conferencing apps).
That is one reason why, at least initially, use of Apple iPhone “FaceTime” was restricted to Wi-Fi access on the AT&T mobile network, for example.
To be sure, there are both public policy issues (can a person use a lawful application) and . management issues (how do resource intensive apps get access to the network?) In the past, there also have been business model issues (can a mobile service provider support unlimited use of video for a flat rate price?)
Google Hangouts provided the most recent issue. Hangouts unifies Google messaging services, including video chats and conferencing. But AT&T indicated initially that video chats could be used only on Wi-Fi networks.
AT&T seems to have quickly clarified that policy, at least for some users. AT&T originally had allowed mobile use of Hangout video chats on Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry devices used on “Mobile Share” or tiered data plans (3G). Long Term Evolution support will be enabled by mid-June, AT&T says.
In the second half of 2013, AT&T will enable pre-loaded video chat apps that work on the mobile network for all customers, regardless of data plan or device; that work is expected to be complete by year end.
Today, all of its customers can use any mobile video chat app that they download from the Internet, such as Skype, AT&T also says.
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