WhatsApp voice calling threatens Vodacom, MTN, Cell C

[Kevin Lancaster]

Big threat to Vodacom, MTN, Cell C here soon

One of the mobile operators’ biggest threats, voice calling via WhatsApp, is around the corner

 

[sand_man]

Bring it on!!!

 

[DA-LION-619]

Meh

 

[poffle]

Taken them long enough. Good work

 

[faniebraai]

Don't think it'll make a difference. Is already available through other apps and not a lot of people using it. Not until data prices come down even more...

 

[AlmightyBender]

Mobile operators simply need to evolve and change their business model

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Don't think it'll make a difference. Is already available through other apps and not a lot of people using it. Not until data prices come down even more...

Viber and the like aren't as widely used as WhatsApp though...

 

[faniebraai]

Viber and the like aren't as widely used as WhatsApp though...

that's true, but people are very worried about their data bill... it'll maybe be a nice-to-try in the beginning, but don't see it lasting long term imo.

Actually, now that I think about it... I won't use it, because I get free anytime minutes on my contract, but the bulk of mobile users are prepaid, and if I was on prepaid everything, I probably would have used whatsapp calling...

 

[abbott10k]

****s about to hit the fan. Knowing our operators, they'll try to suppress it as much as they can.

 

[Sherbang]

except [-]Vodacom[/-] MTN can charge R25 per Mb for voip calls according to their terms and conditions

 

[faniebraai]

except Vodacom can charge R25 per Mb for voip calls according to their terms and conditions

i think mtn has the same.

 

[Sherbang]

i think mtn has the same.

I meant MTN :wtf:

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

except Vodacom can charge R25 per Mb for voip calls according to their terms and conditions

They can, but they would be stupid to do so...

 

[Spontaneous Interruption]

So the next big thing will be VPNs for cellular data ...so the SPs can't distinguish VoIP data from pron.

 

[LinuxMan]

Competition never hurt anyone

Bring it on!!!

 

[ajules]

Failing to see what impact this will have on the Networks.As a contract user I am more inclined to use my free minutes for voice calls.As the data allocation in the contracts is laughable I would avoid making voice calls over Whatsapp at all costs.
For prepaid clients wishing to use whatsapp for voice calls they would purchase less airtime and more data - hardly a loss for the Networks.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

OOB is getting new life

 

[elvis_presley]

except [-]Vodacom[/-] MTN can charge R25 per Mb for voip calls according to their terms and conditions

Skype has a comparable user base to WhatsApp, and is used primarily for voice calls... if they haven't started charging a premium for VoIP yet, I don't see them starting now.

 

[Ockie]

Good grief. I thought we were supposed to have this feature beginning of this year already?

 

[Ockie]

I want to know what codec this will use and what data rate it will have?