9to5 Mac reports today that it seems that in the iOS 5 beta that was released on Monday, the ability to choose to use FaceTime over 3G has been discovered. However, whether or not you actually get to use it on your device over 3G once iOS 5 is officially released will depend on your mobile carrier, in the same way that tethering and VoIP does. As 9to5 Mac notes, in the Middle East, for example, carriers have got Apple to block FaceTime for them, even on the Wi-Fi-only service. This is not the first time that FaceTime over 3G has been implemented on an iPhone, but previous instances have always been on a jailbroken iPhone. 9to5 Mac actually tested it out last year, saying that the quality of the FaceTime experience over AT&T 3G “wasn’t bad at all.â€
No word as yet on whether or not carriers are expected to charge extra for the service, but let’s hope not.
Source: FaceTime looks to go 3G in iOS 5, up to carriers to enable? | 9 to 5 Mac
