China Mobile International, a unit of China Mobile, has launched an application it hopes will win business from millions of overseas Chinese and others communicating with China.
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An employee is seen at the stand of China Mobile 4G networks during an exhibition in Guilin, south Chinas Guangxi province, 5 September 2013. [Photo/icpress.cn] |
The app, Jego, allows anyone outside China with an Android or iOS smartphone and a data connection to receive free incoming calls on a China Mobile number, if they have one, or via a rented number if they don't. They can also make cheap international calls using the app.
China Mobile, with more than 700 million subscribers, is the world's largest mobile operator and the most profitable, according to ABI Research. But it has struggled to gain a foothold overseas, with only one carrier to its name, it's Pakistan unit Zong.
Operators globally have been hard hit by the rise of social messaging apps that offer voice, messaging and other services over 3G data connections. Asian services like Tencent's WeChat, LINE and KakaoTalk have been particularly successful.