By: Aseem Gaurav on August 4, 2011
Vonage's newly released Time to Call app makes it easy for you to make VoIP international calls. It allows you to make short (say 15 minutes) call to 190 countries at charges ranging from 99 cents to $9.99 per call. The app is designed to give stiff competition to Skype and the likes.
It is available on a pay-per-call basis with the money deducted from a user’s iTunes account as an in-app purchase.
Worldwide, the service works on Wi-Fi, but in the U.S. and Canada you can use Wi-Fi or 3G. Using 3G would obviously mean you have to pay more depending on your services plan with the operator.
Marc Lefar, CEO of Vonage says the service is of great value to international travelers who want to avoid the bill shock and roaming charges when they call back home.
“You doesn’t need any calling card services or international calling plan options, and is very cheap than dialing direct through a mobile carrier. It's simple, fast and fair," he said.
How does it works: After your download the app, select the country you wish to call, touch the Buy button and enter their iTunes credentials, and then call the number.
Vonage says a 15-minute call from from Japan to South Korea using Time to Call is just 99 cents as against over $34 when made via a traditional wireless call.
The service will compete against a host of other service providers, ranging from direct-dial calling to VoIP companies, including Skype. The saving costs using the app is quite important given that three in five international calls are still made directly through a wireless or wireline carrier, at much higher rates.
