ATT Call International substitutes for roaming

AT&T indirectly acknowledged the high prices of international voice roaming by rolling out its own VoIP app. The 8x8-powered Call International gives voice calls on Wi-Fi more comparable to competing services like Skype, starting at four cents for easier-to-reach countries like China, France, and Germany and moving up to nine cents for countries like India. Costs are attached to the regular AT&T bill and can be tracked through the app.

Call International has some limitations, as it still uses regular calling rates when calling from a US territory on top of data charges. Some countries carry a premium for reaching a cellphone, AT&T said. Certain countries also won't allow using Wi-Fi, most of which have restrictive governments that are under US pressure, such as China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, and some Persian Gulf states.

The app works on all iPhones and most if not all of the BlackBerry phones AT&T has sold with Wi-Fi. Android works, but a handful of AT&T's Android devices are already ineligible to use it. The software itself is free.

By Electronista Staff