Neelie Kroes hasn't given a public opinion about zero-rated mobile content and apps, but her office has told anti-zero-rating advocates that it's a competition issue rather than a net neutrality issue. It's up to her successor, Andrus Ansip, to clear things up.…
Read MoreResearch
Telefónica may have ditched its free messaging app, but Orange has big plans for Libon
Orange is preparing to offer its "over-the-top" Libon app for integration into rival operators' services, both as a modern way to make cheap international calls, and as a potential front-end for Joyn.…
Read MoreTelefónica scraps its free messaging app Tu Me to focus on more valuable Tu Go
The WhatsApp/Skype rival Tu Me didn't take off, but Tu Go -- which instead extends handset functionality to the desktop and tablet -- seems to be a greater success. That said, Joyn remains the elephant in the room.…
Read MoreChat apps have overtaken SMS by message volume, but how big a disaster is that for carriers?
According to analysts at Informa, IP-based platforms such as WhatsApp now carry more messages than SMS infrastructure does. However, we should be cautious about how we interpret the figures.…
Read MoreDeutsche Telekom activates Joyn for richer communications
Germany's largest mobile operators, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone, both support Joyn now. However, the service's success depends on all carriers signing up, as has happened in Spain and South Korea.…
Read MoreVodafone leads $8.3M investment in Jibe Mobile
Vodafone Ventures is leading an $8.3 million investment in Jibe Mobile, which is working on a platform to help developers integrate Joyn. Joyn, which is backed by GSMA, enables rich communications such as IM, voice and video calling and file transfers.…
Read MoreSpain’s carriers unite on Joyn – is this the future of mobile?
The three biggest mobile operators in Spain have all launched Joyn, the consumer-facing brand name for Rich Communications Services. But, with entrenched over-the-top rivals such as WhatsApp, is this long-gestating platform too late?…
Read More