Wanting to capitalize on the 2 million Filipinos living in the US having ties with their friends and relatives in the Philippines, Vonage recently launched their unlimited calling plan to the Philippines.
With the Philippines Unlimited plan, subscribers can do unlimited calling to both landline and mobile numbers in the Philippines, as well as unlimited calling to the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico for $64.99/month (plus taxes and fees). This is a VoIP solution so you would need an internet connection and the Vonage Phone Adapter whenever you want to place a call. But still, it can connect to any landline or mobile number in the Philippines.
Now here’s what I noticed, this plan is a bit steep at $64.99/month. Compare it to Vonage Pro which has unlimited calling to Italy, France, Spain, UK and Ireland for only $34.99/month. And compare it to their Vonage World where you can make unlimited calls to 60 other countries for only $14.99 monthly! So why is it that Filipinos in the US are charged more to place calls in the Philippines?
I was able to ask a Vonage rep about this and they said that as much as they want to include the Philippines in Vonage World, the local carriers here charge them a very high rate to complete the calls. Ouch.