Carrier FreedomPop is sweetening its cheap offers with the launch of a new WhatsApp SIM, granting unlimited access to WhatsApp even without a data plan in more than 30 countries.
FreedomPop has been trying for a good while now to lure wireless carriers to its cheap services, offering SIM cards under free basic mobile plans, as well as low-cost data and voice packages.
In its latest attempt to attract more customers in the United States, the carrier is now offering zero-rated access to WhatsApp. For those unfamiliar with the concept, some mobile networks use zero-rating to encourage the use of a particular app, allowing free access to it without charging for data. Zero-rating offers are typically agreed upon by a company and a mobile network or ISP, focusing on a specific app.
In FreedomPop's case, that zero-rating app is now the popular messaging service WhatsApp, which already enjoys a whopping customer base worldwide. With the new WhatsApp SIM, FreedomPop now offers 200 MB of free data and 100 voice minutes in addition to free WhatsApp access, though customers who want additional data or voice minutes will have to sign up for a paid plan starting at $10.
Just like its free voice and data services, the new FreedomPop WhatsApp SIM will work in the United States and 30 countries worldwide, thanks to its various partnerships with global carriers. FreedomPop's international data and voice services are currently available in the United States, the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, and a slew of other countries in Europe and Southeast Asia.
"There really is no reason anyone should have to pay for voice and text in today's environment. Over-the-top communication services like WhatsApp have eliminated the need for traditional voice and text services that carriers still force U.S. users to pay hundreds of dollars a year for," says Chris Chen, FreedomPop's senior vice president of Product. "The zero-rated model is gaining traction in more developing countries, and FreedomPop is leading the way here in the [United States]."
The carrier has already launched zero-rated services in other markets worldwide, but points out that this is the first of its kind to become available in the United States.
To check whether the WhatsApp SIM offer applies in your area, head over to the carrier's website and check for availability based on location. To start enjoying the benefits, simply pop a FreedomPop SIM into an Android or iOS device.
