Well that was quick. Fring has swooped in and shut down iPhone 4 video calling on 3G with Fring.

But before you cry foul, waving your arms in the air at Apple for yanking the app or mobile operators for restricting the service, it's actually Fring that has pulled the plug.

"Since adding 2-way video calling on iPhone 4 yesterday we have seen another huge jump in fring video calling", fring is reporting on its website. "As even more fringsters video call their friends on Android, Nokia and iPhones, we have seen some network ’stress’ (as the techies are telling me). So to free up capacity for more fring-to-fring video calling, we are temporarily reducing support to 3rd –party Skype. Thanks for your patience."

It seems the good news is that it is only a temporary fix while things are getting sorted, and that hopefully the service should be resumed shortly. Phew.

Update: Bad news we're afraid - it looks as if Skype has blocked Fring from carrying out video calls within its network.

A Fring blog post reads:

"For 4 years we have led mobile communication innovation, most recently with video calling on any advanced Smartphone and network. 

"Now that fring expanded capacity to support the huge demand for video calling for all users, Skype has blocked us from doing so. 

"They are afraid of open mobile communication. Cowards. 

"Needless to say, we are very disappointed that Skype, who once championed the cause of openness is now trying to muzzle competition, even at the expense of its own users. 

"We’re sorry for the inconvenience Skype has caused you."

Oh dear.