Just as Microsoft has received the green-light from the EU, regarding it’s acquisition of Voice over IP (VoIP) service Skype, it looks as if the service may also be gaining a potential competitor.

O2 have issued a press release regarding a trial of its O2 Connect system which is rolling out to around 1,000 of its customers in the UK (and to any lucky attendees of the recent Wired 2011 conference). The system utilises a similar VoIP mechanism to Skype with the aim of allowing people to make free calls, and send free texts, over the Internet.

The service is available, for the trial members, using iPhone and Android via an app and the press release says that the VoIP system will deliver both voice and SMS traffic. As the service is in a trial stage only, at the moment, it will only work in the UK so if any of the trial members do want to talk to people located outside the UK, using VoIP technology, they will have to resort to an existing solution such as Skype.  However, it is an interesting move by O2 and should tell them a lot about how they can utilise the internet to extend their public communications infrastructure.

If successful the service can be expected to launch in 2012.