WhatsApp recently opened its voice calling service to some Android users to test, and the hype that followed may be of\u00a0concern to mobile operators.<\/p>\n
South Africa already has millions of WhatsApp users, and if a significant portion of these users switch from normal voice to WhatsApp calling the loss in revenue to mobile operators would\u00a0be huge.<\/p>\n
While over-the-top (OTT) players like WhatsApp and Facebook have been eating mobile operators\u2019 lunch for years, traditional mobile voice services can fight back.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the benefits of traditional voice calls over WhatsApp voice calling.<\/p>\n
WhatsApp voice calling will cost<\/strong><\/a> South African mobile data bundle users between 2c and 92c per minute, depending on the data bundle used.<\/p>\n This means that while most users will save money using WhatsApp voice, some people may actually pay more than a\u00a0mobile call.<\/p>\n Mobile calling promotions from mobile operators can drop voice prices to 10c per minute – cheaper than some data options for WhatsApp voice.<\/p>\n Another\u00a0aspect to consider is that the full cost of the call is carried by the caller during a normal mobile voice call. A voice over IP service such as WhatsApp Voice requires that all\u00a0participants\u00a0foot their own data bills.<\/p>\n It should be noted that when services such as WhatsApp voice calling are used over a Wi-Fi network backed by an\u00a0uncapped\u00a0broadband connection, the cost drops to \u201cbasically free\u201d.<\/p>\n Mobile operators have the edge when it comes to call quality. Dedicated capacity on an operator\u2019s circuit-switched network means good-quality calls.<\/p>\n WhatsApp voice competes with other data, like file downloads and streaming, which could lead to capacity issues.<\/p>\n Mobile operators are also implementing new technologies like HD Voice and VoLTE, which further enhances voice calling quality.<\/p>\n Vodacom has implemented the latest in call quality technology (HD Voice, VoLTE).<\/p>\n The biggest benefit of traditional mobile calls is that you can call anyone, anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n WhatsApp voice requires the other user to also have WhatsApp. It is also unlikely that WhatsApp voice will enjoy a big uptake in the enterprise market.<\/p>\n And then there is the issue of WhatsApp support. Many people in South Africa have very basic phones which do not support WhatsApp.<\/p>\n While WhatsApp voice will most likely be a popular and cheap alternative to traditional mobile calls for many people, not everyone will jump on the bandwagon.<\/p>\n Traditional mobile calling has a lot going for it, and offers many benefits over WhatsApp voice.<\/p>\n Whether these benefits will be enough to protect mobile operators\u2019 large voice revenues is\u00a0yet to be seen.<\/p>\n Good news about WhatsApp Voice cost in SA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nQuality<\/h3>\n
General benefits of traditional mobile calling<\/h3>\n
The bottom line<\/h3>\n
More WhatsApp Voice and mobile data articles<\/h3>\n