14 DAY TRIAL // WhatsApp Messenger, the popular cross-platform chatting service, has recently added a major feature that is available for users of Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and more.
The anticipated new feat allows you to talk to any WhatsApp user around the world for free, an initiative that, of course, doesn’t seem to be clashing all too well with mobile carriers. But similar to Skype or FaceTime Audio, WhatsApp Calling uses an Internet connection (VoIP) rather than cellular phone services to make phone calls.
And as you might expect, mobile operators aren’t too happy about the wide-spreading of these platforms that undermine their capacity of extracting revenue from long-distance and overseas phone calls.
It seems like WhatsApp has been tipped that carriers might be planning an ambush by attempting to block this particular functionality. According to Italian website Aggiornamenti Lumia, many users who are part of the WhatsApp translation program in Italy for the Windows Phone app have received an email asking them to translate the following five sentences.
WhatsApp is planning strategies to survive an unexpected attack
As it appears, WhatsApp plans to detect whether carriers are boycotting its VoIP function, and if that is the case, warn users if this occurs. Here’s a relevant example: “Couldn’t place call because your phone’s cellular network prevents WhatsApp calls. Try connecting to Wi-Fi and call again” or “Couldn’t place call because your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network that prevents WhatsApp calls. Connect to a different network or turn Wi-Fi off.”
Skype, which has been one of the most popular long-distance calling services out there, has been facing similar opposition from carrier since its inceptions. The hostilities escalated to a point where Skype had to set up partnerships with different carriers in order to deliver special VoIP calls.
It’s quite interesting to see what route WhatsApp will end up taking. Will it come to an agreement with carriers and set up partnerships too, as Skype did, or will it play rebel and choose to ignore the opposition hoping it will go away on its own? In the meantime, it seems like the messaging service is taking the necessary precautions in at least providing the adequate warnings to users in case VoIP calls don’t work.