According to a Bloomberg report, Verizon Wireless is planning to pre-load their lineup of mobile phones with Skype in the near future. The moves comes as more and more consumers on the nation’s largest carrier are using less and less of their minutes — moving more toward data usage.
According to BusinessWeek, “The service will let customers make Skype calls over the company’s 3G data network.” The deal would allow Verizon Wireless subscribers to make low-cost or no-cost voice calls while Verizon would concentrate on marketing highly profitable data services.
Skype started working on a 3G iPhone app after the upgraded SDK for the iPad removed restrictions for calling over 3G. If Verizon has been directly working with Skype, it could mean Verizon smartphones could get a jump on the iPhone version, which is still in development. (A Wi-Fi version is already available.)
