Engin rings in VoIP change on mobiles
Internet phone services, already eating at fixed phone line rentals, are now moving threateningly into the mobile phone market.
Engin, a leading Australian “voice over internet protocol” (VoIP) provider, today announced that users of the Nokia N80 Internet Edition handset could now use it to make VoIP calls over the Engin network.
Ilkka Tales, Engin’s chief executive, predicted the price differential between internet phone calls and regular mobile calls could spell trouble for traditional mobile network operators.
“[Engin provides] internet phone calls for 10 cents nationally, whereas that call from a mobile network carrier perspective is usually charged per 30 second lots and averages around 27 cents or 30 cents a minute.”
Provided they are within reach of a wireless hotspot, users of the new service could make 10-cent untimed calls to Australian landlines, and 20-cent untimed overseas calls, Mr Tales said.