Mon Oct 05, 2009 11:49 am
Internet calling pioneer Vonage is launching an application for the iPhone and BlackBerry that undercuts the international calling rates of major wireless carriers.
Vonage Chief Executive Marc Lefar said the free program routes a call's international leg over the company's network -- saving users more than 50 percent to dozens of countries -- so they are placed as local wireless calls and only use minutes on the caller's phone plan.
The iPhone will default to Wi-Fi if it is available.
"Over the long term mobile is absolutely a critical place for Vonage to be competing," said Lefar. "It's an important first step for us and moves us from the home platform."
In recent months, Internet calling has come into the spotlight as AT&T accused Google's Voice application of breaking federal law.
In August, Apple banned the application from its online app store.
Rival Skype, a unit of eBay, is limited to areas where Wi-Fi is available.
Vonage said customers will initially have to prepay for its mobile calls, charged on a per-minute basis but that a flat monthly rate will be offered soon.
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