ISP BT Links UK Home Phone Call Plans to Mobiles with SmartTalk App

BT Retail has today announced the launch of its new SmartTalk (BTSmartTalk) app for Apple iPhone and Android mobiles. The app requires a wifi or Mobile Broadband connection and enables customers to make phone calls via their smartphone and have them billed under their existing home phone plan (whether in the UK or abroad).

The app means that BT customers travelling abroad can, for example, use SmartTalk to phone home for the price of a UK call, which may be included for FREE under their calling plan (i.e. customers will not be charged for making calls that are included as part of their plan). This is especially useful because BT’s Broadband customers also benefit from unlimited access to over 7.5 million wifi hotspots around the world.

If this new service sounds familiar then that’s because Virgin Media launched an almost identical solution (SmartCall) last November and BT now appears to be playing catch-up, well it would if it wasn’t for the fact that Virgin’s app wasn’t yet available.

John Petter, MD of BT’s Consumer Division, said:

“This is a really exciting breakthrough that means you can take your BT calling plan with you and continue saving money when you’re away from home, either in the UK or abroad. BT SmartTalk helps you get even more value from your BT package and much more from your smartphone.

At last you can actually call freephone 0800 numbers for free from mobiles and get inclusive 0845 and 0870 calls too. And of course, you can take advantage of BT Wi-fi which gives you access to a massive network of 7.5 million hotspots around the world.”

The app is useful because alternative methods, such as Skype (VoIP), tend to charge extra for calling non-Skype physical lines. By comparison SmartCall and SmartTalk include the cost under your existing plan.

As usual Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store should both have the software available for download.