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Even as a Viber user I find it strange that it took off. Most phone plans here come with unlimited texts and basically unlimited calls. Most people are also on
by k-mcgrady 13y ago
Even as a Viber user I find it strange that it took off. Most phone plans here come with unlimited texts and basically unlimited calls. Most people are also on Facebook which has a great messenger app. And yet my friends use Viber (which means I have to). And every time I ask them why, their reasoning is free calls. Most of these people have unlimited minutes. Not only is this strange but annoying as to contact them I now have to send my communications through yet another company.
- koopajah 13y agoFor me Viber is great because I live in another country so I can send/receive text/pictures/call easily to most of my family as if I was still living there. And for them it is just a matter of installing either Viber or Whatsapp and then everything works almost the same. Facebook messenger or skype or others are harder to use mostly because you need to create an account and always have it connected, etc.
- msvan 13y agoSame here. Cross-border calls are still unreasonably expensive without Viber/Skype. Is it there some limitation to the GSM infrastructure that prevents cheap international calls from ever becoming a reality, or are the phone companies just trying to milk us?
- kalleboo 13y ago> or are the phone companies just trying to milk us? This one. I used to have a mobile phone plan with Skype rates for international calls. Then it was discontinued.
- koopajah 13y agoSome new rules are supposed to take action in Europe and end roaming charges and has been discussed before [1][2] so this might help a lot when it is in place [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5892957 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5892957 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6339434 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6339434
- adnam 13y agoOut of interest, have you tried upptalk?
- koopajah 13y agoI have never heard of this one before but you seem to target US/Canada users (at least for the free part) which is not my case (European). Also multiplying the apps make everything harder, already teaching most of my family to use/update/check Viber was a long process especially remotely so I prefer to stay on what works fine for now!
- adnam 13y agoWe also do free calls for German, Spanish and UK users.
- pingec 13y agoTo me it is better than Facebook because Viber uses your phone number to identify you, no registration needed. And as a consequence it can tell you all persons in your contacts who have it too. I don't use Facebook but my phone numbers list is huge.
- Nux 13y agoThe success of applications like Viber, Whatsapp or Skype goes to show how much international communications there is and also hints at the level of immigration. I'm curious to see what repercussions the removal of roaming taxes from this summer in the EU will have on these apps, if at all.
- bruceb 13y agoI have unlimited everything but along with being able to call/chant international with friends it is good when the reception in an office or building is crap but you have wifi.
- ishener 13y agoi still don't know of any compayn that gives unlimited international calls (let alone free...) besides, they started to gain popularity before the widespread of unlimited plans, at least in my country