The pitch from Fongo is Canadians no longer have a reason to complain about their smartphone bills. I’m not sure we ever really needed a reason, but the Cambridge, Ont.-based mobile telecommunications company is looking to take away some of the motivation with its new mobile app.
The new Fongo app, a free mobile calling and messaging tool, runs on top of any data or WiFi service and is Android and iOS compatible. It builds on Fongo’s Dell Voice app, which launched last year. Users still maintain their relationship with their existing carrier, but Fongo promises lower bills by making calls through its service.
The VoIP services allows users to make voice calls over WiFi or their carrier’s data network. Fongo claims it uses about 0.5MB of data per calling minute, meaning 1GB of data would get you about 2000 minutes. The service offers free calling (you’re still using data though) between 85 per cent of Canadian cities, and rates starting at two cents per minute for other cities including internationally, plus a four cent connection fee. For a $25 one-time fee, you can have your existing home or mobile number redirected to the Fongo app.
With Fongo, now your cat can call you for less.
“Fongo has revolutionized the mobile service industry with a business model no one thought was possible: free calling,” said Dave Bullock, president of Fongo, in a statement. “But our desire to innovate the mobile experience goes much further than cost savings. A phone that presents nothing more than a dialpad is an outdated idea. Our new design is beautiful, modern, and a much needed breath of fresh air in a stale industry.”
The Fongo app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
