28TEL launches ‘Mobility on VoIP’ in USA

In what will be a major challenge to Skype, mobile telecommunications service provider, 28TEL, is launching its free international call service in the US.

Users of the service will be able to use their mobiles to make free calls to over 20 countries, without having to install any additional software and without being connected to the Internet.

28TEL uses technology from Linkwell International (HK) Co., Ltd, to provide multi-lingual voice prompts and user interfaces, including Chinese and Japanese.

When using the service for the first time, users dial 1-213-3666099 (English), 1-213-3666000 (Chinese), or 1-213-3666090 (Japanese) and enter the number of the person they wish to call.

When the call is connected, 28TEL sends the user a text message with a local number for the person they are calling, which they can then use to make direct calls.

Users can also log onto www.28tel.com, type in a friend’s number, and 28TEL provides the local phone number for that person.

When connected via this direct number, the caller tells their friend to hang up and call back with the displayed number.

The caller holds the line and waits for friend’s callback, allowing them to make international calls free of charge without a time limit.

The service is already available in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Brazil, and will soon be rolled-out to Europe and South America, as well as the USA