Most TruTower readers are very familiar with a term known as “bill shock” by now. For those who aren’t, bill shock is the name given to a phenomenon that occurs whenever a global traveler or caller gets an extremely high bill, resulting in an immediate call to their mobile operator to dispute the valid charges.
It’s true we have global roaming services to help with the roaming costs, but many users would prefer to keep their national services if their only going to be calling long distance across the world rather than roam.
This is where apps like Numbridge can help. Numbridge is a calling application that allows its users to purchase local phone numbers in over 50 countries and call around the world at local rates.
According to new research from Numbridge, Americans with family and friends living abroad will often not make calls due to high costs (37%) or fear of unknown costs (20%) associated with dialing overseas. Research firm YouGov, commissioned by Nimbridge as part of its “Call Home This Holiday” Report, found that 37 percent of Americans wished they called internationally more often.
Additional key findings from the “Call Home This Holiday 2013” Report include:
- Forty percent of Americans feel their carriers are not charging reasonable rates, but choose not to push for any changes in the status quo; 25 percent are angry about the costs of calling an international number using a cell phone; and 22 percent feel they have no other choice if they want to stay in touch with friends and family living abroad.
- Nearly half of the respondents (48%) have experienced a mobile VoIP call that got cut off or dropped and had to re-dial; 43 percent have experienced poor call quality (where they cannot hear the person on the other line); 43 percent have experienced delays on the line where there were pauses; and 30 percent have experienced multiple drops over the period of the call.
- Americans are just as likely to send friends (6%) and family (6%) a mass text message as they are to send a colleague a mass text message to say happy holidays (12%). To wish friends and family living abroad a happy holiday, Americans are most likely to send them a message via social media (family abroad 12%, friends abroad 16%); followed by a text message (family abroad 13%; friends abroad 15%); or an email (family abroad 12%; friends abroad 15%).
“…the mobile phone industry has evolved at lightning speed over the past few years, yet the international calling industry lags so far behind…”
“It baffles me that the mobile phone industry has evolved at lightning speed over the past few years, yet the international calling industry lags so far behind in innovation,” said Emrah Kavun, founder and president of Numbridge. “In a sector dominated by gigantic carriers and unreliable VoIP technology, advancement has remained nearly stagnant – even though customers are practically begging for a pleasant, seamless and cost effective international calling experience.”
In an effort to keep families connected over the holidays, Numbridge is offering users of its app 1,000 pre-paid minutes of international calling time for $20 USD or 500 prepaid minutes for $10 USD. These minutes are on a 30 day cycle.
In addition, and in celebration of its public launch, Numbridge is also offering those who download the app and buy the $20 Ultimate Freedom Package a total of 1,500 prepaid minutes that are usable for 100 days.
If this sounds like something that could help you and your loved ones stay chatting and singing over oceans through the new year, you can download Numbridge via Google Play or iTunes.