NEW YORK — Vonage Holdings Corp., a pioneer in Internet-based home phone service, is launching applications for the iPhone and BlackBerry that undercut the international calling rates of major wireless carriers.
The free programs let users place calls that are routed over Vonage’s network, at least for the international leg.
The calls are placed as local wireless calls, using up minutes on the cellphone plan, although the iPhone will use Wi-Fi instead if that’s available. Vonage then carries the calls to their overseas destination.
The fact that the Vonage app for the iPhone can use the cellular voice channel is unusual. Several other Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch can already place calls over Wi-Fi. The Associated Press
