14 DAY TRIAL // Skype is not something new for you, right? The voice over IP service that eBay bought and couldn't really take profit from and is rumored to be selling it to the highest bidder, namely Google and its mobile platform, Android.
Central London residents will be the first to suffer the consequences of eBay's problem with Skype, as they will be the first to lose their personal numbers that they've actually paid for. An email was sent by the VOIP service staff to its customers letting them know that as of next month their numbers will stop working. And it's going to be close to the traditional times of talking to relatives and other people you just feel obliged to talk to: Christmas. December 20th is the day that is going to mean lights out for the phone numbers.
"We're very sorry to tell you that we have to change your SkypeIn number," the e-mail said. "As some of you may know, we get SkypeIn numbers from a variety of telecoms suppliers. Unfortunately, we have to return some of the 0207 SkypeIn numbers to one of our suppliers of London numbers."
Jeremy Kirk of the IDG News Service considers that "the problem points to a commercial dispute between Skype and its supplier. Service providers such as Skype buy banks of numbers from telecoms companies, who request numbers in batches of 10,000 from the U.K. telecoms regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). The commercial agreements between service providers and the telecoms are not regulated by Ofcom" and mentions that the respective numbers have been claimed by Gamma Telecom Holdings Ltd that could not be reached for comment.
It's a sad twist of plot for the Skype users that paid for their personal numbers up to 60$ and now are to have them changed. No more 0207 numbers are available but instead the VOIP service will most likely be providing numbers with the 0203 and 0208 prefixes.