It's official - the first Swiss provider has started to impose rules on what can be transfered on their mobile data network:

http://www.inside-it.ch/frontend/ins...&news.id=25804

Both VoIP (Skype etc.) and tethering (using your phone as a modem) are officially against the terms of use (AGB). According to PCTIPP, Skype is actively blocked, while tethering still seems to work but means a breach of contract / the ToS.

In a reply to Inside IT's inquiry, Sunrise is saying that VoIP is banned because they're worried about the voice quality (yeah right). Tethering is banned for, well, no reason apparently - but I suppose the reason is profit optimization.
Sunrise is saying that you need to buy a data product instead of using your phone for tethering. Meaning that you'd have to get an additional MiFi, rather than being able to only carry one device for tethering and for phone usage.

It's also no longer permitted, apparently, to use multi-cards for an iPad. Phone subscriptions can only be used in phones (and not in iPads, MiFis etc.).

Both Swisscom and Orange say that they're not limiting their phone plans.

Sunrise is officially dead to me.

peter

I was very happy with Sunrise the last 2 years I had them, but if they are going to pull this kind of petty bu**s**t, then I'm dropping them and going back to Swisscom.

Actually, I've had no data on my phone all day, I'm wondering if this is a coincidence, or are they already blocking me?

I don't use that much data, maybe 500MB a month, but I like to have the freedom to change phones freely, stick the SIM in my 3G-enabled netbook, or make VOIP/Skype calls from my phone. I'm really disappointed if they are going to follow the path of the US operators and start micro-managing how their customers behave

I'm hoping those limitations will create enough media attention to make them reconsider :-(

It mentions in this article that Sunrise's AGB's about VOIP and tethering came into effect in Autumn of 2010:

http://www.pctipp.ch/index.cfm?pid=1319&pk=57179

I signed up with Sunrise before that (early 2010, I think) , mainly with the intention of using data on several devices (incl- laptop), and using VOIP. If Sunrise changes their AGB's in the middle of my 2 year contract, then what? Am I allowed to ride out my 2 years using VOIP and tethering? Or am I allowed to cancel my contract without penalty?

If Sunrise changes the rules, they need to let their current customer under contract know what their options are.

maybe this is my chance to cancel my contract...

They can't change the rules, you have a contract with them......

I have had a large refund from Swisscom because they changed their tarif for roaming, it cost me more money than it should have done.

You can get around the VoIP ban, by getting a VPN solution, so all
your Internet traffic goes through an encrypted tunnel.

maybe that will be the next thing to be banned

I agree with Sunrise on the VoIP quality - it generally sucks on 3G but is ok at best on wifi. But then again VoIP is all about cost and not quality...

How will they ban VPN? You can tunnel it on any port, even port 80 or 443, which is usually reserved for http/https traffic.

I don't think they can ban it - but is VoIP over VPN really feasible, considering the overhead generated by the encryption protocol? I'd say it's probably too slow.

Peter

Yes, and above all, it's none of their fraking business. If I want to make crappy-quality phone calls, that's my problem, not theirs. I'm paying for the data volume. If I use it all up, I'll be paying even more.

Peter

Not good, currently CERN has a contract with sunrise, and all CERN issued sim cards for employees, and users are sunrise cards. Almost everyone there uses skype and other data usage on their ipads and iphones (all data is free for CERN users)...

I wonder if this means CERN will be changing providers????

What about Apple's FaceTime, is that VoiP??

Quick question, does it applies to usb internet? because I have a take away usb and i have been trying to login on skype now and it doesnt let me.

Just got an Iphone and paid up to get it from Apple, specifically so I wasn't locked into a 1 or 2 year plan with a Suisse provider. Instead I got a cheap Sunrise sim card and have been using it for skype to call back home in the US. Spent a couple hours using skype last night, in fact, so wasn't blocked at that point.

But if Sunrise is really blocking skype now, my dollars will do the talking.

if it were me, force all traffic to go through my own application proxies and so limit internet to only email and web.

The new terms of service probably only apply to private customers

Apple FaceTime is fine for now as it only works through WiFi anyway.

Apparently, the mileage varies somehow. It looks as though they're not blocking Skype everywhere; however, there are lots of people who say Skype calling has stopped working for them.

Right now, using VoIP or tethering is only against the terms of service. We have yet to see Sunrise take action against those evil abusers.