Telefonica’s mobile operator O2 has announced the start of a UK trial for a new branded mobile VoIP application that lets users make calls and send texts over WiFi.
The app will allow users to make and receive calls using their existing mobile number to any UK mobile or landline. Calls can be initiated from anywhere in the world as long as the destination number is UK-based.
Like T-Mobile’s Bobsled service in the US — which expanded to include calls to US and Canadian mobiles and landlines in addition to its initial Facebook-routed voice offering — O2 Connect illustrates how mobile operators are responding to competitive pressure from VoIP services such as Skype and Google Voice.
Continued improvements in mobile data networks are enabling innovations of this kind, making VoIP over WiFi a viable complement to traditional voice services.
O2 has not yet confirmed pricing for the service, but the trial suggests the app will integrate with existing billing and pricing structures rather than replace them entirely.
O2 Connect, developed by O2 Labs, will launch the trial on iOS and Android smartphones initially, with plans to extend availability to additional devices in later stages.
A limited number of users will be invited to participate in the trial to evaluate deployment models and help develop new features, the company said.
“This trial will allow us to explore the potential of delivering VoIP services to customers. We hope to launch O2 Connect as a commercial service in 2012,” said Richard Porter, Head of Consumer Mobile Products, O2 UK.