Now, make free international calls

You can make free phone calls to anywhere in the world now. An Italian software company – Seven Rings International – is launching its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service in the country that provides free international phone calls, instant messages (chat) and text messages.

The move gains importance as this will help in further reduction of call charges in the country. At present, India has the lowest call charges in the world with calls rates to the UK at around Rs 5 per minute, the US at around Rs 6 and the Gulf at Rs 10-12. However, this depends on the operator and tariff plans.

“We have begun soft launch of the services in India and we expect it to be fully operational by March this year. Already over 500 people have signed up for the service in the country, and we expect further additions due to the cost benefits of the service,” Seven Rings International President Elia De Prisco told Business Standard.

To avail of the service, a user will have to log on to the company’s website ourfreephone.com and download the software Our Free Phone (OFP). The company intends to charge a flat monthly user fee (for software) of round $9.99 (around Rs 500), irrespective of the calls and messages made.

However, for free international calls the receiving party also should have installed OFP. The suite runs on phone with Symbian and Windows Operating Systems, which are normally found on mid- to high-end phones. Prisco claims that over 600 handset models across the world support the suite, and a large number of medium range phones in the country.

Calls can be made from mobile phones with Internet access as the suite uses VoIP, a technology used for transmission of voice communications over the Internet.

OFP also enables calls to made to other phones that does not have the suite, but at a cost.

“Users can save up to 80 per cent of call charges – compared with international calling rates – since the suite uses VoIP to terminate the calls. Instant Messages (chat) – using GTalk, Yahoo! or MSN – can be conducted with any user free-of-cost,” Prisco added.

Even though, there are such services available in foreign countries - like Skype – this would the first time a global major is launching its services in the country.

The Department of Telecommunications had earlier approved VoIP services in the country.