There has been, recently, news that Microsoft is ‘threatening the cell phone companies’ by offering Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile for phones running Windows Mobile software. The gist is that MOCM allows free Internet-based calling from phone to phone, which seems like an incredible deal and a sure threat to mobile phone companies.

The trick is that it’s NOT a threat to mobile phone companies. What people never seem to understand is that free calling on a mobile phone, be it free Internet calling with Microsoft’s new product, or free long distance, or free roaming NEVER means free. You’re still paying a monthly fee to use the phone, and additional per-minute fees for every minute you go above your monthly minimums.  If mobile phone companies are starting to hurt from Microsoft’s free internet offering, they can simply up their monthly fees for Internet usage or up their Internet package fees.  Such a free service can really only HELP Mobile phone operators, as it just means that people are more likely to use their service more often instead of opting for a payphone and a calling card.

I love the prophecies of doom just as much as the next guy, but why is it people can never seem to understand that there simply is no such thing as free ANYthing when you’re paying a monthly fee JUST to be allowed to use this ‘free’ service.  I mean, it would be one thing if you were paying a monthly fee for something ELSE and got something free as a bonus.  But you’re not. You’re paying a monthly fee for phone usage, whether you use that phone service via a traditional PSTN network or over a converted PSTN-Internet VoIP network.