Verizon just made an announcement that they’re going to be offering free Skype-to-Skype phone calling on its 3G phones starting March, 2010. Even my lame Curve 8330 will be able to make those calls. Similarly, AT&T/iPhone has backed down in its argument against Google Voice and they’ve even opened up the platform for the SlingPlayer to stream video over the device.

Are we living in a topsy turvy world? Carriers are willingly allowing applications go after their core revenue model (phone minutes) or eat up their bandwidth (streaming video). For years, in the age of the “anybody can do anything” Internet, carriers have done an excellent job controlling their network: what goes on it, how people use it, and how they charge for it. With the proliferation of smart phones with direct Internet access that can use VoIP services, access to calling plans that undermines the carriers’ pricing (even free) is just an application download away.

In an app-enabled mobile world how long can carriers hold onto their old pricing mechanism for consumers? They can only block Google Voice and Skype for so long. You remember the old adage, the customer is always right? Well, in this new mobile world, the customer is calling the shots. And if you want to keep them, you better revise your revenue model.

Who doesn’t love FREE?

While the cost of making phone calls has dropped dramatically, the wonderment of FREE phone calls still holds true. There are so many services that offer cheap-to-free calls, yet every time another one is announced it’s big news. And with BlackBerry it’s still big news because they’ve got the largest penetration of smartphone users. Much higher than the iPhone.

Free phone calls, even for a short period of time, makes an impact. When I was in Paris, Skype gave us Traveling Geeks a month of international Skype-to-phone calling for free. That was absolutely huge, and it was timed perfectly as I called my wife and parents every night from Paris. What was so powerful about that short promotion (free international calls for one month) is they gave me something that affected me personally. How often can a brand do that? Provide something ongoing or even as a promotion that attaches their brand to a personal intimate experience. Skype did it, and as a result I’m a customer for life. More importantly, I’m telling everyone about it. I’m blogging about it.

Free phone calls are powerful. What can you offer for free, continuously or for just a brief time, that could deliver that impact?

Creative Commons attribution to VoipMAN and re-ality / CC BY 2.0