I just gave a good shoutout to Vonage for the Vonage Mobile app on Twitter …
@Vonage Fab! #VonageMobileApp just maintained a 66 minute call to terrific #JustHost from mountains of N Israel to US as a storm headed in.
and I’m doing the same here.
— Deborah Shadovitz (@DebShadovitz) February 10, 2015
…and I’m doing the same here.
Vonage Mobile app maintained a 66 minute call – during a storm!
For months I have slowly been redesigning this website and was finally ready to take it live. Just as I wanted to talk to one of the great support guys at my blog’s host, JustHost, the impending storm headed into these Northern Israel mountains right on schedule.
The Wi-Fi is always shaky where I am working under a hard working heater — and with a storm coming in, there was a good chance I’d lose the signal — thus losing my support call.
The signal did get shaky at times but the Vonage call stayed connected — for 66 minutes!
To be clear about that, I ended the call by saying thank you and hanging up. The connection would have worked even longer.
I made sure to use my radio voice, clearly enunciating all of my words and speaking loudly and slowly. There were a few very short glitches but the voices never stopped carrying and the tasks got done!
The result? That this site redesign is live!
Yesterday, Vonage Mobile app helped another person here, too.
As I helped someone here with the website she maintains, she mentioned that she had to phone a specific company to fix an issue. The problem was that this company only has an 800 number which can only be called with in the United States. She cannot call it from an Israel phone number.
“No problem! “I told her, surprising her. “I have an American phone number and phone,” I elaborated, holding up my good old (old model) iPhone. Now, she knows I have an Israeli SIM and number so she looked at me quizzically. “Vonage Mobile app” I said, maintaining my smile.
So we waited until US business hours and called. The Wi-Fi cut out twice, cutting her off, but we called the very patient and helpful service person back each time and of my associate’s tech problems were solved.
And… I just remembered that I didn’t have to use the Wi-Fi in either case. Vonage Mobile app has worked brilliantly over every cellular data connection I have had in Central America, in Eastern Europe and in Israel. Funny the conveniences you can forget —even when you’re experiencing a great convenience.
Thank you again, Vonage.
And for those of you who don’t know yet…
What is Vonage and Vonage Mobile?
Vonage is a VOIP — Voice Over Internet Protocol — service. It enables you to make or receive phone calls using the internet instead of traditional phone lines. At home you can have a regular phone, but have it us your internet. While traveling, you can use their smartphone apps to call. Vonage works great over Wi-Fi and surprisingly brilliantly over both 3G and 4G cellular data. (I don’t have 4G data on any of my travel iPhones.) I once sat in a park in Tarnow, Poland, using my Polish SIM card data service and called a cousin in the USA, talking for well over an hour. It uses a negligible amount of data plan allotment, making it an incredible way to keep in touch with people in the USA while you’re overseas.
It’s not just for calls the to the USA. Using the app, you can call internationally to both landline and mobile phones in more than 200 countries. For most countries the rates are insanely low per-minute rates.
Oh, wait, one more thing… :)
If your friends get the app too, you get calling credit and you can both call app to app for free.