As little as 18 months ago, mobile VoIP and IP messaging apps were considered niche by operators. Now we pose the biggest “threat” the industry has even seen. In fact, a Telco 2.0report suggests that within three years, 40 percent of messaging and 21 percent of voice revenues will vanish due to over the top (OTT) players like Rebtel, Whatsapp and Viber.
For any telecommunication company these are frightening numbers, and they’re reacting to them in the only way they seem to know: by blocking, charging for or throttling competing services that are cannibalizing their revenues.