Remember cutting a hole in 2 tin cans and attaching a thread at either end and talking to your friend for ‘free’ across the room? No? Well, some of the 90s kids do.
Now take this concept to the next stage: Imagine placing a call from your landline or Mobile to any number you choose and not have to pay a dime for that call.
Freekall, is a Bangalore-based Cloud telephony startup that aims to offer just that and more! It requires no internet connection or app installation! Your local telecom providers worst nightmare! It works on any phone, from the iPhone 5S to Samsung Galaxy S4 to Nokia 1100.
Though there are other services out there like Skype and Viber that do offer free calls, they require a stable 3G connection to be effective.
How it Works
Step1: Users have to call the number 080-67683693 . The call will drop automatically and the user will receive a call back.
Step2: The user has to answer the call and dial the number of the person they wish to call, followed by the symbol #.
Step3: Both calls will be bridged and users can talk freely.
freekall is currently running on ‘beta‘, hence users have 2 options: Use it for 3 min/day without registering Or Use it for 12 min/day by registering.
Once freekall is out of ‘Beta’ there will be no daily cap and users can talk for as long as they wish for free.
Is the call really Free? No Strings attached?
Yes and No. The call is free, but users have to listen to in call advertisements for 10 seconds for every 2 minutes of the call.
The Team Behind it
It was founded by Yashas C Shekar, Vijayakumar Umaluti and Sandesh E.
freekall has secured a seed round of Rs 10 Lakhs from Ranjit Cherickel, founding member of 88mph, an Africa-based accelerator program platform
Pros
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Will revolutionize the way calls are made in India and the world.
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Listening to an Ad every 2 minutes is not a big issue, for a user who is having a casual conversation with a friend.
Cons
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Listening to an Ad can be irritating if you are doing business over the phone or are talking to someone about an urgent matter.
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You actually have to dial the number of the person you wish to speak to, every time! Which is a real pain.
Final Verdict
The idea is amazing and has been implemented really well. The real power of this application will be felt when freekall officially launches and goes out of Beta. This Cloud telephony service is ideal for anyone looking for some small talk or casual conversation with a friend, but has no internet access.
Do give this application a try and let us know what you think?
