Vonage releases calling app for iPhone, BlackBerry

Source: AP

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NEW YORK — Vonage Holdings Corp., a pioneer in Internet-based home phone service, is launching applications for the iPhone and BlackBerry that undercut the international calling rates of major wireless carriers.

The free programs let users place calls that are routed over Vonage's network, at least for the international leg.

When the phones are connected to a Wi-Fi hot spot, the calls go over that link, bypassing the wireless carrier entirely. When Wi-Fi is not available, the calls are placed as local wireless calls, using up minutes on the cell phone plan. Vonage then carries the calls to their overseas destination.

The fact that the Vonage app for the iPhone can use the cellular voice channel is unusual. Several other voice-over-Internet Protocol, or VoIP, apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch can already place calls over Wi-Fi. But Google Inc.'s Voice application, which is designed to use the cellular network, has not been approved.



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interesting...

and this story about paint that blocks wifi signals from coming through or going out through walls was interesting, too.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/151779

dead area and don't have the signal strength to make/receive calls in my house -- at the end of the street, not a problem.

I have a wireless station to the internet with full signal strength there. This would be what I would need.