Free international calls from UK is a search term often queried a lot on search engines. The results I find appearing most times are Free International Calling Apps. I think this is not what the searcher expects to see. Moreover, there is what I hear on the streets that WhatsApp calls are free. But are they?
It is now close to impossible, in UK, to come across anyone that has not used WhatsApp to stay connected and communicate with friends, family, acquaintances, colleagues, business or for a variety of other communication needs. If ever one is found then they will more than likely know about WhatsApp.
The Question
Today I want to tackle this simple statement that I have had on numerous occasions from most people I speak to about international communication. “I make free calls through WhatsApp”. The question that begs is, are WhatsApp calls really free and is there any true free international calling from UK?
To answer this question it is important to first understand at a very high level what constitutes making a WhatsApp call or any other App based call. The Internet, is required, without which app to app communication and connectivity such as a call cannot be completed. It is not just internet connectivity that is required but good internet connectivity to be a successful and clear call.
Internet Access
If internet is required, the next question is, where is this free internet access found? The answer to this can be argued that yes it is possible to get free internet but if it is available it is attached to the engaging of another product, service or purpose and free internet access is thereby provided as an indirect benefit. So it really isn’t free internet.
For the most part, internet access is paid for either as direct service, as part of a bundle or packaged product such as home WiFi or Mobile Phone Data. The reason, I think, that WhatsApp users think that it is free to make a WhatsApp call is because they do not have to specifically pay the data required at point of use. This means they do not see the cost because it is not a direct charge when it is provided as part of another service, that has already been paid for.
So in answer to the initial question, WhatsApp calls are not free. In fact, in some cases, they could be more expensive than calling a subscriber in Africa using the traditional calling method of access numbers with Pin numbers to access international calling credit.
App To App International Voice Calling Research
A research carried out on which voice calling app uses the most data per minute? found that WhatsApp used 2.3 times more data than the app that used the lowest data consumption per 1 minute call. The call used up 740.6Kilobytes (kbs) per minute while the lowest used 318.3kbs per minute of a voice call. The highest consumption per 1 minute came at a whooping 875.0kbs per minute for a voice call.
From this test outcome, taking an example of a Safaricom data package (bundle) purchased by a WhatsApp call receiver in Kenya of 350MB that expires in a week, at a cost of 250kshs allows the receiver a voice call period of 472minutes or 7hrs 52min. This assumes the data package is used for a voice call in its entirety over 7days.
A Zimbabwe example of Econet weekly data bundle of 370MB at a cost of ZW$192 allows a WhatsApp voice call period of 8hrs 19min
This is a good amount of talk time if the data bundle is used purely for receiving WhatsApp calls. However, as soon as the Smart Phone is switched on and mobile data is activated, other apps begin to demand some share of that data. Therefore, for 350MB, one would be lucky to get more than 2hours in a week.
So does free international calling from UK to call abroad really exist and are WhatsApp calls really free? This short write-up tells us that WhatsApp calls or indeed any other App to App calls are not free.
Further, calling through Internet means that both parties share the cost equally as they both require internet access to make or receive the call. This is why Weconnect Africa offers an international top up service to our customers. This enables international callers keep their communication alive by loading data bundles to the receivers and ensure that their calls will always connect and to avoid over-burdening their loved ones with Data Bundle costs.
