Not content to let the likes of WeChat and other VoIP apps take over more of the market, China Mobile has decided to release a VoIP app of its own, called Jego.
Jego will be available for iPhone and Android initially according to TNW, with no mention of a version of the app for desktop or Windows Phone.
Users can sign up for the service using their phone number, no matter where in the world you happen to be, and the service also allows you to utilize global calling plans a la Skype. Of course, online messaging is free.
Like other apps, Jego will scan your address book contacts to find other Jego users you might know.
Jego will be offered alongside China Mobile’s Fetion app, which will compete with the likes of WhatsApp in the mobile messaging space, although it does seem a bit redundant to offer two OTT apps that can perform similar functions. In a nutshell, Jego will compete with VoIP calling apps while Fetion will compete with messaging apps.
Jego offers unlimited calling to China ($15.99 per month) or Hong Kong ($11.79 per month), but each country is under separate plans. Unlimited worldwide calling will cost an extra $9 per month if you’re paying for the China Plan or $13.20 per month for the Hong Kong Plan. Skype by comparison charges $16.09 per month for unlimited international calls.
It’s not clear about the overall strategy of China Mobile behind these launches, nor has an official release date been announced. Jego and Orange’s Libon app could, however, be just the beginning of carrier-created VoIP and messaging applications as carriers work to insure their revenues remain safe in the face of a growing mobile messaging market.