New way to avoid roaming charges (O2 Connect)

NFH

I noticed a new app in the iTunes App Store called O2 Connect. It's also available in the Android Market.

It seems to be a pseudo-UMA app that allows you to make and receive calls (and texts) on your normal mobile number via VOIP, i.e. whenever you have a wireless connection, at the usual rates for your tariff. Unlike Orange's UMA service, O2 Connect works abroad, meaning you can avoid all roaming charges whenever you have a wireless connection, although it won't let you make calls to non-UK numbers.

What are the chances of the other UK networks following suit? Given Orange's long running preference for UMA over Vodafone's preference for femtocells, I hope that Orange will follow suit quickly. Is Orange's Signal Boost service the same thing? Although listed as compatible with Android, it doesn't appear as an app in Android Market, suggesting it has to be preinstalled on an Orange-supplied Android phone. This would make it less likely to appear in the iTunes App Store.

Wintermute

Not sure about the iPhone one, but the Android one isn't compatible with one of the most popular Android handsets (Galaxy S2) and it's invite only "This is a 1st Edition app by O2 Labs. You'll need to request an invitation before you can use O2 Connect.".
I know O2 are doing quite a bit with VoIP, both as bolt-ons (International Favourites) and apps (such as Social Call which sounds much the same except it works through facebook).

As (pretty much) everyone's going for smartphones these days and VoIP apps is getting easier and easier to use I figure O2 are being smart and realising that they're not going to stop people from using these VoIP apps to avoid call charges so they may as well get into it before their competitors take too much notice.

NFH

Wintermute wrote: »

As (pretty much) everyone's going for smartphones these days and VoIP apps is getting easier and easier to use I figure O2 are being smart and realising that they're not going to stop people from using these VoIP apps to avoid call charges so they may as well get into it before their competitors take too much notice.

The second paragraph of this article concurs with this.

visidigi

Im confused, why would you use this over something like Viber?

NFH

visidigi wrote: »

Im confused, why would you use this over something like Viber?

Because Viber has the following limitations compared to O2 Connect:

• You can receive calls only from other Viber users.
• You can make calls only to other Viber users.
• You can send texts only to other Viber users.

O2 Connect means that if someone phones you when you are in a country where incoming roaming calls cost up to 85p/min, you can receive calls for free on your normal O2 number as if you were in the UK, because the calls are delivered via VOIP instead of via a foreign GSM network.