- US Markets Bracing for Selloff on Dubai Debt Worries
- US Dollar Falls to 14-Year Low Against the Yen
- No Thanksgiving Rest for Retailers in Sales Race
- UK's Darling to Downgrade 2009 Growth Forecast
- US Companies Already Moving on Curbing Emissions
- Fannie Mae to Tighten Lending Standards: Report
- Investing in Good Karma – and Making a Profit
- Retailers Should Believe in Christmas Miracles
- Bankruptcies Jump, Hitting Highest Level in Four Years
- 4 Thanksgiving Week Buys For Your Portfolio: Market Pros
- There's a 'Great Chance' For a Double-Dip Recession: Strategist
- Revenge of the Gangsta Nerds
- Will TCU See The "Flutie Effect?"
- Retail Earnings and Sales to Improve in Q4: Analyst
- Consumers Catching the Holiday Spirit
- It's Beginning To Look A Lot More Riskless
- Crescenzi: Claims Level Suggests End to Job Losses
- Hedge Funds Take Early Lead in Warren Buffett's 'Big Bet'
- Immigration reform activists diversifying ranks
- Car insurance scofflaws raise health mandate doubt
- Peach farmers block Greek highway
- Perry leads Texas GOP fight against climate bill
- Robotic hamsters are holidays' unlikely new craze
- Bookstore chain Borders UK appoints administrators
- Tommy Hilfiger's estate in Conn. sells for $20M
- Repsol says it will invest $1.5 billion in Bolivia
- Belgium reluctant to renew GM loan offer
Text Size 
NEW YORK - Vonage Holdings Corp., an Internet-based home phone service provider, 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 wireless Internet hot spot, the calls go over that link, bypassing the mobile phone service 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.
Google says its Voice program was rejected by Apple for duplicating the built-in functions of the phone, and the Web search company implies that Apple is protecting the revenue stream of iPhone carriers like AT&T Inc. by not approving the application. Like Vonage's application, Google Voice provides low international calling rates.
Apple says the Google Voice app hasn't been rejected, but is still being reviewed for inclusion in the App Store. The Federal Communications Commission is probing the disagreement.
Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said the company considers Vonage's application to be in the same category as other VoIP apps that have already been approved for the iPhone. She would not elaborate on whether Apple considers there to be significant differences between Vonage's program and Google Voice.
Vonage is the largest of the independent companies that supply their subscribers with adapters that let them plug their home phones into their broadband connections. The new applications for mobile phones have no direct tie to that business — subscribers to Vonage's home phones will pay the same rates as other users of the apps.
Print
Email
- What you need to know.
- Ever wished your cab driver would stop nattering and just get to where you're going? Well that moment is near(er).
- Eric Schmidt pledges to create a virtual copy of the Iraq National Museum at Google’s expense.
- Bill Griffeth is taking a leave of absence from CNBC and Power Lunch for a year. Here's a message from Bill.
- More shoppers than ever plan to comparison-shop this season. Who will benefit?
- It may be the most unusual guide to business you'll read.
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes