Viber, largest global free mobile calling and chat app, has launched Viber Out, which allows users to make international calls to non-Viber users at rates that are up to 387% cheaper than leading rival internet calling app Skype.
Skype has 300 million users worldwide and Viber 200 million.
While Skype users necessarily have to route their calls via the internet through voice over IP (VoIP), Viber allows calling from mobile to mobile or mobile to landline like a normal voice call without an internet connection. Both Viber and Skype are free up to a point.
Talmon Marco, chief executive officer of Viber, told dna, “Viber has a call success rate of 50% in just three years of operations and is very close to competing with non-VoIP GSM calls in terms of voice quality and connectivity. With 3G and 4G coming in, the voice networks will keep improving and there is no doubt that VoIP is the future. We are also constantly working to let Viber adjust to poor networks, various devices, Bluetooth, etc. Thus, today Viber can even be used on 2G and GPRS-Edge network.”
Marco, who sees India is one of the top 10 markets for Viber, said the company is keen to overtake Skype and Whatsapp in terms of customer base, as it offers very competitive rates.
“For example, while a Skype call from US to India via landline costs 36.5 cents (Rs 22) for three minutes, a Viber call between US and India costs 7.5 cents (Rs 4.7) – making Viber 387% cheaper. Similarly, a US-India call on mobile costs 14.7 cents on Viber and 36.5 cents on Skype, making Viber calls 148% cheaper,” he said.
These rates are even cheaper than those by Indian telcos, whose minimum international call rates cost Rs 7 and above.
This becomes especially significant for global travellers, who prefer to use a local SIM or just data, as normal international call rates are too high.
However, Viber is open to partnering with telcos for special network and data offer benefits. Earlier this month, Tata Docomo partnered with Whatsapp to exclusively offer Whatsapp packages at competitive rates.
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