Skype, which brought cheap and free calls to the Internet, is doing the same for cell phones, announcing support for Google's Android.
The Web-based voice and text service, a unit of auction giant eBay, is bringing its Internet communications software to cell phones. The new "lite" version of Skype can be downloaded for free to more than 100 models of Java-enabled cell phones or those using Google's open-source Android platform.
The "lite" version can make free Skype-to-Skype calls and low cost calls to landlines and cell phones are available in 10 countries: the United States, Britain, Poland, Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Australia and New Zealand.
Most carriers have yet to allow Skype on their phones for fear of losing revenue if subscribers were to make calls over the Web instead of on their regular voice service. However, that is changing as the popularity of Skype has grown.
The company, which has more than 370 million users around the world, said its Skype Lite software would also support phones using Java software and devices running on Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system.
The T-Mobile G1 runs Android software while phones from LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsugn and Sony Ericsson are Java-enabled. Skype "lite" is not yet available for the Apple iPhone.
