Broadband provider iBurst has launched a product that enables fixed-rate international calls to most of the world's major cities at a reduced price.
iBurst says its latest offering, IBTel, follows negotiations and interconnect agreements between the company and various international operators, and is expected to “put the edge back into local businesses by slashing their telecoms costs”.
IBTel allows users to make unlimited international calls - to locations including Europe (fixed lines), Canada (fixed and mobile lines), Australia (fixed lines), the US (fixed and mobile lines), China (fixed and mobile lines) and India (fixed and mobile lines) - at a fixed monthly price of R699.
The voice over IP (VOIP) service works over any broadband Internet connection, including an iBurst line, ADSL line or VSAT, and can be accessed via the IBTel device from anywhere in the world.
iBurst CEO Thami Mtshali says similar VOIP products elsewhere in the world have proven popular, with countries like the US seeing over 100 billion minutes a year spent on such products.
Mtshali says average roaming prices for calls back home from any of the countries covered by the product is over R20 per minute, at peak hours. “This means that from any of these countries, a call of around 30 minutes would cost over R600.”
IBTel lets users make local calls to fixed lines, while calls to mobile phones or other destinations not covered by the product are at rates of less than 50% of normal prices.
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