Skype to bar calls on mobile phones, landlines within India

Over-the-top telecom player Skype on Monday said it will stop calling facility from its application on mobile and landlines within India from 10 November. “As of November 10, 2014 Skype will end support for calling within India, meaning calls to mobiles and landlines from Skype within India will no longer be available,” Skype’s parent company Microsoft Corp. said in a statement.

Using a feature of Skype, a user can make video or voice calls using Internet service for which a person will be only charged for Internet consumed for the service. The statement did not clarify reasons for the move. The announcement comes within a week of Microsoft’s mobile phone arm launching a new smartphone, Lumia 730, in India which positions itself as phone fit for Skype calls and videos.

Microsoft said, “Users in India can still make free Skype-to-Skype calls worldwide, international calls to mobiles and landlines and users outside the country can call mobiles and landlines in India.” It added that Skype WiFi and SMS messages are also available to users in India.

People prefer to use Skype for making free calls using Internet service. The application has witnessed increased adoption with boom in smartphone in India. Telecom operators in India have made hue and cry over applications like Skype cutting their revenue share.