Globalgig Launched Today - Simple Device Signals a Revolutionary End to Excessive Data Roaming Charges

LONDON, SYDNEY and NEW YORK, November 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Globalgig, powered by Voiamo, brings carrier grade mobile internet access to business travellers' smartphones, laptops and tablets in the UK, US and Australia. At unmatched prices, it replaces the need for roaming. Traveller data bundles are available in Gigabytes, not Megabytes, to satisfy real and increasing usage needs.

Voiamo today launches Globalgig, a carrier grade mobile broadband solution that slashes data prices, finally making available internet usage at a realistic price for travellers and businesses.

Launched today in the UK, US and Australia, the company plans to expand the service to key Asian, European Union markets, and other large global travel hubs over the next 12 months*. The simple-to-use Globalgig service removes the need to pay for expensive roaming charges and brings a definitive end to huge data bills for travelling business people.

Priced in useful monthly bundles of 1GB (Gigabyte) for £15.00, 3GB for £25.00 and 5GB for £35.00, Globalgig satisfies the data needs of internet users. The Globalgig 'Hotspot'* device can be bought for £79.00 (inc.VAT) from the Globalgig store online at http://www.globalgig.com and will shortly be available from http://www.amazon.co.uk.

Users sign up for a monthly rolling contract and can easily connect the personal and portable Hotspot device to their smartphones, laptops and tablets. There is no long-term contract, there are no hidden charges, and when users wish to upgrade, downgrade or terminate, they simply need to provide notice*.The service will then be changed or cancelled at the end of their billing cycle.

In order to provide a fast, sustainable and secure service in each country, Voiamo has partnered with Three, (part of the Hutchison Whampoa group) in the UK.  In the USA wireless services are provided on the Nationwide Sprint Network*.

In Australia Voiamo are partnered with Optus (part of the Singapore Telecom Group).

On 1 July 2012, the European Union placed a cap on retail roaming charges within its member states of 70¢ per megabyte, or approximately £717 per Gigabyte, not including any local sales tax, whereas the rest of the world has no global regulation, governance or plans to cap charges even at this level. This means business people and their companies are frequently faced with data access charges of hundreds of pounds from only a few days abroad. Worse still, hotels and public places with WiFi access are usually costly, patchy, slow and offer limited security for sensitive business data.

"It's time to bring an end to the rip-off data bills that business people face upon their return from travelling abroad on business trips, and to offer them a simple out-of-the-box solution." said Nigel Bramwell, Chief Executive Officer at Voiamo, the company behind Globalgig.

Bramwell added: "Our simple Globalgig service brings people fast, secure, carrier-grade internet access through local mobile networks - enabling them to use videoconferencing, to surf the internet as they would ordinarily, and to email and receive large attachments, all with the assurance that they will get this reliably and securely at an affordable price."

Globalgig, created and powered by fast-moving telecoms firm Voiamo, operates using a simple, small 'Hotspot' device that automatically logs into a local data network in each market and feeds internet access to users' smartphones, tablets and laptops, thereby creating their own personal and portable 'WiFi', or 'hotspot'. Globalgig customers can achieve fast internet speeds of up to 7.2 megabytes per second over local 3G networks, by simply placing the device in the room, or in their bag or jacket - and then accessing the internet as normal.

"Sometimes conscientious travellers try to avoid roaming charges by purchasing local SIM cards when they reach their destination, in order to access data on their phones," says Bramwell. "Globalgig enables them to keep their SIM card in the phone and remain in full contact with their customers, colleagues and suppliers, while at the same time having high speed internet access. It's as effective for their phone as for their laptop or tablet."

"Globalgig is a game-changing service and it has been developed to directly address the needs of business people and their companies. In the current economic climate business people do not want to be spending hundreds of pounds accessing online services," said Bramwell. "By cutting out roaming altogether we are providing people with a carrier-grade,

secure and fast service at a clear and honest price that is competitive to the domestic tariffs and crucially allows you to take it abroad at no extra cost."

There are also plans to launch a voice service during 2013 that offers a service enabling users to subscribe to foreign mobile numbers as part of their contract with the added benefit of cutting out the roaming charges.

Imagery

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About Voiamo

Voiamo Group was formed in September 2007.  Since its formation Voiamo has created the Globalgig product and secured all relevant agreements with UK, US and Australian network operators.

The company was founded by its Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Bramwell, who has 27 years experience in the mobile telephone industry, and its key executives also all have a long track record of success in the telecoms industry. It is well funded for launching the product widely and for its continued success - and has a strong group of investors, many of whom have a major interest in telecoms. Voiamo is not VC funded.

Voiamo's partners - Mobile Network Operators

In the UK Voiamo is partnered with Three, part of the Hutchison Whampoa group. Three are the UK's fastest growing mobile network according to Ofcom's annual Communications Market Report and it has been rated the UK's number 1 network for coverage, reliability and quality for the 7th time in the latest YouGov Poll as well as number 1 network for the iPhone.

Voiamo's mobile network services in the US are provided on the Nationwide Sprint® Network. Sprint (a trademark of Sprint Nextel) has been ranked number 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, over the last four years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Although Sprint provides Voiamo subscribers access to its wireless network and to its wireless services, Voiamo is responsible to the Voiamo subscribers for the service.  Please call Voiamo with any questions or comments about services.

Optus is Voiamo's Australian partner and is part of the Singapore Telecom group, one of Asia's largest mobile operators.  In 2012 it won three major ACOMM Industry Awards.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Globalgig is not a data roaming product. Instead of routing data through local networks and then back through the user's home country network, incurring huge charges, Globalgig keeps traffic within local networks (Sprint in the US, Three in the UK, and Optus in Australia) and provides fast, secure, affordable internet access.
2. The Globalgig 'Hotspot' is the device that connects the users smart phone, laptop and tablet to the local operator's network and also switched automatically across these networks when the user arrives in a different territory.
3. 'Hotspot' is the secure personal and portable version of "WiFi".   The main advantages of using this are in:
   1.  the portability of 'hotspot', as it goes with you and works wherever there is a mobile signal, and
   2. in that the data transmitted is secure to the user who sets the encrypted access password, unlike a public WiFi where the bandwidth is shared across any number of people and is not always secure.
4. The launch on 29 November 2012, is backed by a major PR, promotional and social media campaign across international, local and specialist print, TV and radio outlets. Its ongoing success will be supported by advertising, promotions and media activity across those outlets.
5. Data bundles are available in 1GB (gigabyte), 3GB and 5GB, for £15.00, £25.00 or £35.00 respectively per month. When users are at 50, 85 and 100 percent of their agreed data allowance Globalgig alerts them, to give them the opportunity to control their usage / spending or upgrade to a higher allowance if they wish.
6. Globalgig bills customers on a monthly basis for usage. There is no long-term contract, there are no hidden charges, and when users wish to upgrade, downgrade or terminate, they simply need to provide notice, by email, up to 48 hours prior to the end of the customer's billing cycle. The service will then be changed or cancelled at that end of their billing cycle.
7. The only hardware required is the Globalgig Hotspot device and SIM, available from the Globalgig store online at http://www.globalgig.com. It allows easy connection from users' smartphones, laptops and tablets - users simply switch on the Globalgig device and select it from the menu of available wireless networks on their smartphone, laptop or tablet.
8. Up to five devices - smartphones, laptops or tablets - can be connected simultaneously at high speed to any single Globalgig device.
9. The Globalgig service is available in the UK, US and Australia. Key EU territories and large travel hubs globally will be added over the coming months. Voiamo also plans to launch a voice service, offering cheap and convenient calls abroad on local networks.