Low-cost calling application Ringo introduced calls
within the country at 19 paise per minute, which it claims to be 90 per cent
cheaper than the standard rate offered by most telecom operators.
Ringo, which uses the network of mobile operators
to make calls, is aiming to have a million customers in 3-6 months. "Our
local calling service is not only the cheapest in India right now, but free of
typical telecom-related hassles such as STD charges and differential
pricing," Ringo CEO and founder Bhavin Turakhia said here.
He said Ringo is able to offer cheaper calling by
purchasing minutes in bulk at low prices from telecom operators and passing on
the accrued savings to its customers. The company uses top-end technology that
connects both the initiator and the recipient of a call via a conference
bridge.
Turakhia, however, did not share details. "We
buy bulk minutes from telecom operators through aggregators such as Tata
Communications, British Telecom and Verizon," he added.
The company in January had launched the
international voice calling service, which is available in over 100 countries
as of now.
Asked if Ringo will eat into the voice revenues of
mobile operators, who might claim that the app's quality is not very good,
Turakhia said, "If they (telcos) talk about voice quality of the app being
lower, they are actually putting themselves down because Ringo is not making
the call, Ringo is using their network to make the call."
Ringo users can call any landline or mobile in the
country at a flat rate of 19 paise/min, without any additional charges like
roaming, STD or top-up cards.
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