OMTA promotes standard for VoIP on cellphones

The Open Mobile Terminal Platform Alliance (OMTA), a mobile-phone industry body which aims to steer the development of handsets, has published new guidelines on provisioning and maintaining VoIP settings on new handsets.

The guidelines, which are aimed at network operators and handset manufacturers, cover VoIP clients that are pre-installed on handsets, such as that used by Truphone.

They are not intended to cover VoIP applications which are downloaded later such as Fring or Vyke.

The guidelines suggest that although operators are entitled to remove or lock down VoIP applications on subsidised handsets, they must provide the means for the device to be unlocked at the end of the contract period.

OMTA also wants users to be clearly informed if a VoIP capability has been locked. This means that the removal of menu items would not be allowed.

In all, the document specifies approximately 15 functional requirements. It is available from OMTP (Open Mobile Terminal Platform) site.