press release

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Also adds inbound and free iPhone-to-iPhone Truphone calls

Global mobile network operator Truphone today added Truphone Anywhere functionality to its iPhone™ application, enabling users to make international calls across the internet for as little as £0.03/$0.06 [UK/Rest of World] per minute even when they’re not connected to the internet. Inbound Truphone calling on the iPhone is also added for the first time, making it possible to enjoy completely free Truphone calls between two iPhones.

Truphone's iPhone™ application

Truphone Anywhere works in 33 countries around the world, saving iPhone users from those countries money on international calls made from their home country when not in Wi-Fi. The easy-to-use service works alongside domestic service providers, but reduces international call costs to as little as £0.03/$0.06 [UK/RoW] per minute.

Unlike say, calling card solutions, Truphone Anywhere doesn’t require a user to remember what to do. Whenever an international number is dialled from outside Wi-Fi, Truphone Anywhere simply asks whether he/she wants to make a Truphone call. The user simply accepts, and Truphone connects the call.

The second new key feature - inbound calling for Truphone on the iPhone - works in all countries. Using the new ‘presence’ feature, iPhone users can see which of their other Truphone-using contacts are online, including contacts who also have Truphone on their iPhone. This makes it possible to place, for the first time, a free iPhone-to-iPhone Truphone call.

The new inbound call capability means that iPhone users can avoid inbound call charges – for example, when abroad – provided they are connected to a Wi-Fi network, enabling significant cost savings.

“No-one likes big mobile bills, and they don’t come any bigger than for international calls” said Geraldine Wilson, Truphone’s new CEO. “But for iPhone users, that no longer needs to be the case. They can choose either to pay standard international call rates, or to reduce them to as little as 3 pence or 6 cents per minute. It’s as simple as that, no catches.”

All of the original, great benefits of Truphone for the iPhone still apply:
• Truphone routes calls over the internet whenever possible, saving loads of money both on international calls from a user’s home country and on calls when connected to Wi-Fi abroad
• Truphone routes calls over the internet, so customers don’t need to worry about poor mobile reception. Calls are crystal clear and voice quality is superb from almost any Wi-Fi zone
• no monthly line rental, subscription or other hidden charges. Truphone customers only ever pay for the calls they make. Additional credit is simply purchased online, or an account may be set to top up [refill] automatically when it falls to a certain level
• Truphone is free to download via the iPhone App Store and takes seconds to install. New customers receive £1/$1 [UK/RoW] free calling credit to get them started
• with Truphone’s American Tru Saver bundle, calls within and to the USA and Canada can be as low as 0.75 pence/1.5 cents [UK/RoW] per minute
• calls within and to 40 countries (including UK, Australia, Brazil and most of Europe) are £0.03/$0.06 [UK/RoW] per minute to landlines and £0.15/$0.30 [UK/RoW] per minute to mobiles
• making a Truphone call couldn’t be simpler: open the Truphone application and dial as normal. Truphone uses the iPhone’s own address book.

Truphone has been enabling iPhone users to make major savings on international calls since July, by routing outbound calls over the internet using Wi-Fi.

[ends]

iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Truphone is a trademark of Software Cellular Network Limited. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.

Media contacts
UK/Europe:
Rose Ross
Both Barrels Communications
+44 (0)208 255 5225
rose@bbcomms.co.uk

North America:
Sue Huss
Comunicano Inc.
+1 619 379 4396
sue.huss@comunicano.com

Notes to editors
1. Truphone Anywhere works by connecting to a local Truphone server, which then connects the long-distance part of the call over the internet. The local connection to Truphone is, typically, free because it uses bundled minutes from the customer’s usual cellular service provider.
2. Truphone Anywhere is designed to save users money when making international calls from their home country. Using the service while abroad may result in higher charges.
3. Truphone Anywhere works using local ‘points of presence’. Truphone has points of presence in 33 countries.

Links and other resources
• Photo: Geraldine Wilson
• Truphone photos (Flickr)
• Truphone press office
• Truphone website

About Truphone
The first true mobile internet network operator, Truphone allows users of Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phones to make and receive regular telephone calls, and to send and receive SMS [text] messages, using only a Wi-Fi connection and the internet. It has users in 149 countries.

Truphone is the trading name of Software Cellular Network (SCN). SCN is privately owned, funded by both venture capital investment and angel investors.