With hundreds of VoIP providers now up and running internationally, it’s become a bit of a challenge to come up with a unique offering, let alone a unique company name.

 

But newcomer fring seems to have accomplished both. Not only does this London-based company have a unique name (seemingly derived from the words “free” and “ring”), it is also one of the first to deliver a mobile VoIP solution that works on both 3G and WiFi (News - Alert) networks.

 

The new entrant today announced the launch of its free, PC-independent peer-to-peer mobile VoIP application, which purportedly lets users make free calls “anywhere” using either a WiFi connection or existing 3G (data) service, as opposed to traditional GSM. Because calls placed over a 3G network are recognized as “data,” users can harness their existing data service (delivered via their existing subscription agreement) to make calls, and thus are not charged for air time.

 

The new service, which is as of current is compatible with all Symbian 8 and the latest Symbian 9 devices, lets users talk and chat with other fring users (known as “fringsters”)—as well as Skype (News - Alert) and GoogleTalk contacts—for free. (Although the product uses Skype, it is not endorsed or certified by Skype.) It was officially launched in October of 2006.

 

This downloadable application is mobile-operator independent and is available by SMS invitation from a fring user, or by registering at www.fring.com.

 

As explained by Avi Shechter, co-founder and CEO of fring, in a press release, “Enabling free mobile VoIP calls instantly from users’ current mobile phones allows fring to challenge the traditional mobile operator pricing models.”

 

“We can already see the effect through our users feedback; fring is changing the way people interact on a daily basis bringing choices to consumers and allowing them to declare their mobile independence through continuous availability over 3G, GPRS and WiFi, with no PC-dependency, no call-backs, no air-time charges and no need for special handsets,” Shechter said.

 

“VoIP has proven to be a truly disruptive technology, enabling millions of people around the world to make free PC-to-PC calls,” he added. “fring is the next step, providing real mobile independence to users who can leverage the power and freedom of the Internet from their mobile phones with any operator, roaming freely between wireless networks (GPRS, 3G, WiFi) and enjoying the benefits of multiple IM providers (Skype, Google (News - Alert) Talk) from their mobile phones.”

 

In addition to offering 3G, WiFi and GPRS connectivity, the mobile client also offers “superior voice quality” and ”presence with real-time contact availability (including mobile VoIP and GSM ‘in-a-call’ real time indication).”

 

Shechter said fring is committed to improving the quality of its product and will be adding innovative new features to it over time.

 

As per the press release, fring is “100 percent free with no subscription costs; consumers simply pay for the data they use under their existing line rental agreement.” (Therefore, the plan under which a customer pays for data transactions, including any limits therein, comes into play.)

 

The fring application, which is currently in BETA, is currently compatible with the following handsets: Nokia (News - Alert) models, 6630, 6680, 6681, 6682, N70, N72, N80, N80i, N90.  Some features may operate partially on the Nokia N71, N73, N75, N91, N92, N93, E60, E61 and E70.

 

Fring’s patent-pending solution is the equivalent of making PC-to-PC calls using a softphone, except the user gets to do it wirelessly over a WiFi or 3G network. By leveraging the user’s existing data service, calls can be made for free.

 

The native VoIP solution uses a proprietary adaptive protocol which optimizes itself to network capabilities and characteristics. This very small client has minimal network requirements and allows full duplex high quality user experience with minimal battery and memory consumption.

 

Because fring’s “thing” poses a serious threat to 3G mobile carriers, it will be interesting to see if any of them attempt to block its use on their networks. In a basic sense, this could be achieved simply by blocking the voice packets over the data portion of the network.

 

Furthermore, the service will more than likely be dependent on significant mobile network upgrades, as most regions suffer from poor coverage areas for wireless broadband, meaning that it could be difficult for a user to maintain a continuous connection.

 

---

---