The Register: 'Skype is a kind of freestyle MVNO'
The basic idea is that, if you really think about it, Skype operates very similarly to a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) in that it relies on 3rd-party networks to operate. Keeping this in mind, the irony here is that Skype is like a “parasitic virus that threatens to bring the host to its knees – but which can’t survive without a living host.”
The recent partnership between Skype and UK mobile company 3 is seen by The Register as a relationship where “3 uses Skype’s branding to launch a low-cost tariff that undercuts its rivals, daring them to follow suit. It does so by corralling and taming the VoIP threat – by routing Skype traffic over its own network.”
So since 3 offers near-ubiquitous wireless high-speed data in the UK, it has become a perfect “host” for the Skype organism and by preemptively partnering with Skype, 3 will be able to exercise some control over how Skype is used on its network (and make a little money as well). In essence, Skype has become a feature rather than a standard.
VoIP is Dead. It’s just another feature, now [The Register]