Wifimobile users can now set up accounts to make very cheap calls over Wi-Fi as per Truphone, and GSM Call through access as per Mobivox. The rates are competitive, such as under $0.10 per minute to India. You can find them here. The move was necessary because Wifimobile's previous flatrate model could not offer calls to many countries like India and the Middle East as it looked like this:
Only £15.99 €11.99 £7.99 Per Month
The oneFone service from WiFiMobile allows you to make unlimited* free calls to landlines in over 40 countries as well as mobile phones in certain countries including the USA. For a list of countries that you can call for free click here.
All calls to landline and mobile numbers to countries not listed here are automatically routed through your normal GSM provider. This allows us to guarantee that customers are never charged more than the set monthly line rental.
*The unlimited free calls are subject to a fair usage policy.
In the last months Wifimobile had to walk in the shadow of Truphone, because they offered calls to the same countries for free in a limited offer that always got extended. Calls to destinations outside these 40 countries could at least be completed as paid calls with Truphone, while Wifimobile just couldn't offer them.
As Truphone's free calls should have finished at the end of the year, Wifimobile hoped to compete on the same level with them and beat them with more VoIP features. An added enhancement is that people can register not only their cell phone but also the home or office landline for the use with Wifimobile's callthrough numbers. That brings more calls onto Wifimobile's VoIP network and makes their service usable outside of Wifi areas.
Truphone lacks such a nice callthrough feature and I am missing it, as I told in my blog post "Packet8 MobileTalk could be done much better". Wifimobile also offers real time call records, which can be viewed in a secure customer portal, and they are also currently working on an inbound solution.
But will this be enough to step out of Truphone's shadow?
It must have been a strong blow that Truphone has just announced the extension of their free calling to landlines (and some cellphones) in 40 countries until the end of February 2008, only one week after Wifimobile changed their business model. Free phone calls are still the strongest argument for the VoIP customer. Read both companies' press releases! I am quite convinced that Truphone will never charge for these calls. We can already prepare for the next extensions in March, July and December. That's how it worked in 2007.
WiFiMobile goes global with prepay VoIP and dial through service
Los Angeles California December 13th 2007 - Leading mobile VoIP provider WiFiMobile today announced that their VoIP service has changed to prepay with very competitive costs.
The company had previously charged a monthly subscription which allowed free calls to landlines in certain countries, however calls to all other worldwide destinations were barred. The introduction of a top up system now presents a global platform.
WiFiMobile’s new tariff rate has been completely revised and users can now take advantage of calls such as to India at under 10 US cents per minute. Calls to other online WiFiMobile customers are free regardless of location.
Their unique local access numbers remain in place where cheap calls can be made when no Wi-Fi access point is in range. These numbers are available in twelve countries at present with more to follow shortly. Customers can also register other numbers such as their home landline to utilise these access numbers. This combines Internet and dial through calling into just one account.
The service is available at the company’s website where their VoIP client oneFone can be downloaded instantly to any compatible Nokia E or N Series smartphone. A free $1 credit is applied to all new accounts to test the technology. Customers are also able to securely access the log in portal to view account balance, top up history and real time CDRs.
The company’s VoIP client oneFone fully supports Presence enabling users to see who is online at any time with other business features such as Call Conferencing, Call Transfer and VCC (Voice Call Continuity) coming soon.
WiFiMobile CEO says "This stretches out our potential market to places that we couldn’t touch previously. Countries such as India have over 200 million mobile users and have a huge overseas based population. Our rates are very competitive and we have the most robust VoIP client".
For further information please visit www.wifimobile.com or email pr@wifimobile.com.
WiFiMobile
Head Office:
3250 Wilshire Boulevard
9th Floor
Los Angeles
California
CA 90010
Tel: +1 310 459 3000 Ext 2
Email: pr@wifimobile.com
ABOUT WIFIMOBILE
WiFiMobile were founded in 2002 and have offices in the US and UK. In 2004 the company achieved status of a Forum Nokia S60 3rd Edition Featured Developer, one of only 23 recognized worldwide.
VoIP client oneFone is a self developed and wholly owned application and provides cheap or free long distance calls as well as converting select Nokia devices into extensions of corporate IP IBX systems. The company is poised to achieve phenomenal growth in the next year in this rapidly evolving market.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Truphone freezes call charges until the end of February 2008
Truphone today announced that all Truphone call charges have been frozen at their current rates until February 29th 2008. For the next two months, Truphone calls will be free to landlines in 40 countries, and to mobiles in the USA, Canada and elsewhere. Using Truphone to call EU mobiles costs just 15 pence per minute or less.
Truphone call charges summary
- Free calls to landlines in 40 countries
- Free calls to cellphones USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong and Singapore
- Pay 15 pence or less to EU mobiles - and no connection charge
- Free mobile calls to other online Truphone customers
- No roaming fees: Truphone calls costs the same wherever you are
- No download cost, no monthly charge and no inbound fees
- These rates are guaranteed until February 29th 2008. Rates quoted are exclusive of VAT
- Anyone with a suitable handset can get Truphone by sending an SMS with the word 'Tru' to +44 7624 000000
i am still waiting for an VOIP operator that offers cheap rates to cell phone in europe. i can buy old fashioned calling cards that have rates between 0.06 - .10 US cents per minute to just about every european cell operator. i can call german cell for 6 cents. i can not find a VOIP operator that let me call for double that; most are atleast 3 or 4 times that amount.
ReplyDeletei just can not get impressed over any pricing conversation that has to do either with USA or landline numbers in europe. when i check a price list i go straight to the euro cell phone(i check germany, france, UK first.) i gennerally lose interest as soon as i check.
i really really want to use SIP and VOIP services for all my calls. but as long as the savings is so high by using scratch off calling cards i will continue even though i really dislike the calling proccess, etc. i will pay perhaps a 50% premuim to use VOIP over what i pay now; but no more.
p.s i europe i also found calling cards were very cheap compared to other options.
would be really cool if voxalot or PBXes would set up a way to enter calling card numbers and than automate the calling process so call automatically route through.
It is swings and roundabouts with VoIP companies. Yes, Truphone still offer free calls to 40 countries but the charges are very minimal to these and not really enough to worry about. It is when you start doing the comparisons on other chargeable destinations that things spring to light. http://www.mobilevoipforum.org/showthread.php?t=2006 Here you will find a thread on the fact that Truphone charge on a per minute basis whereas WiFiMobile are per 6 seconds. When you start calling these numbers on a regular basis WiFiMobile will no doubt be a bigger money saver.
ReplyDeleteEdison
"i can buy old fashioned calling cards that have rates between 0.06 - .10 US cents per minute to just about every european cell operator. i can call german cell for 6 cents."
ReplyDeleteExamples, please? I am a bit incredulous.
Jack said:
ReplyDelete'Examples, please? I am a bit incredulous.'
one that i can find easily on the internet in: STi African King. calls to germany mobiles are US 7.5 cents, 3 minute rounding, no connection fees.
the one i usually buy is called call africa. there is no corporate name on the card. i buy it from a very small grocery shop. i pay 6 cents per minute, 1 minute rounding, no connection fee.
for some reason most have the word africa or asia as part of the name even for good european rates. LDI, LDS, and STI are three reputable very reliable companies i have bought cards from for a long time. they all have cards with rates under 10 cents to just about all euro cell destination. but i can get even cheaper cards from smaller calling card companies that do not have websites or advertise. here in the USA usually you have to go to small gfrocery stores or electronics shops that
cater to foriegners to get a really great deal.
i have even found that some small grocery shops that sell calling cards have even better deals from lists of calling card numbers that they keep behind the counter(no actual card; they scratch off the numbers as they sell them) i would only pay money for these if i know and trust the shop owners though.
about the comments above:
ReplyDeletethree reasons calling cards can be cheaper:
1. calling card companies often get a small amount of the interconnect charges from the breakin numbers.
2. lots of cards go unsold on retailers shelves; so the calling card companies collect revenue without ever having to provide services in exchange. they pass this on when cards are actually sold. also lots of cards are never fully redeemed but are lost or misplaced after only being partially used.
3. none of the voip companies are anywhere near the size of the large calling card companies and therefore have far less bargaining power particularly for less traveled destinations in africa, and parts of asia.
p.s. calling cards companies also do not give away free minutes, etc and have to cover those costs with higher rates elsewhere.