February 22, 2012, 9:51 AM — About a year ago, Kineto announced a partnership with T-Mobile that brought Wi-Fi calling to the carrier's customers; the agreement meant that customers could use their home Internet connection to make calls. This took some pressure off of T-Mobile's network, and in some cases, it improved call quality for the customers able to utilize the service.
Kineto Wireless has gone a step further now, announcing a new app: Smart VoIP. Smart VoIP works like Skype or Google Voice, allowing voice calls to occur over Wi-Fi networks or 3G/LTE. This frees you from bad reception constraints if you have Internet at home, or good data coverage but a lack of voice signal quality.
The app works on the three major mobile operating systems: Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 7, and it can connect via Wi-Fi, 3G, or LTE (you can tweak the settings to only work over Wi-Fi, which is useful for subscribers that travel overseas).
Smart VoIP will allow carriers to compete with services like Skype and Google Voice with a service that ties directly into a subscriber's voice line and is branded by the carrier. With Smart VoIP,
Kineto Wireless essentially gives carriers the tools they would need to make their own version of Skype or Google Voice.
Carriers will be able to offer better rates for international or VoIP calls bundled with their own mobile products (that's the hope, anyway), as well as have mobile congestion offset by subscribers using their own home internet for calls when they're within range. Subscribers will benefit from Wi-Fi calling, especially in locations where cellular service might be lackluster due to lack of towers or other issues. Its app will be priced competitively with existing services, according to Kineto Wireless, and everything would be tied together into one number, one service, and one bill.
Carriers can include Kineto's Smart VoIP app alongside their smartphone plans, allowing them to undercut the competition (like Skype and Google Voice) with their combined services. If you prefer one-stop shops and paying for everything in one place, and having a VoIP service that is tied to an existing phone line would be right up your alley.
Kineto Wireless will demonstrate the service at this year's Mobile World Congress tradeshow in Barcelona, so we'll be sure to let you know how it works out.
