Nanu: Take 2G Calls – For Free

If you think Viber’s convenient, try this on for size: nanu, an app that gives you free calls – without needing a 3G connection.

And no, it’s not a hoax. Built by Martin and Daniel Nygate, a father-and-son duo, nanu (yes, lowercase) works exclusivley in low-bandwidth conditions like on sees in countries where 3G access is a luxury rather than the norm. There’s no money involved – simply dial Nanu users for free. As an added bonus, you can even call non-nanu phones and landlines in 41 countries for a total of 15 free minutes.

How does nanu sustain itself? Simple: adverts. When you call someone, an advertisement plays briefly before you’re connected. It’s an incredibly novel way of advertising, As more users adopt the app, more advertising revenue pours in. The nanu team hopes to get to the point where they can provide unlimited nanu to non-nanu phone calls for free.

The app’s on the Play Store (click to download), with an iOS version coming soon. And here’s the cool part: it’s even headed to Mac and Windows.

Freekall (freekall.in) is also worth mentioning here: the Bangalore-based startup came up with a service that works from anything to a Nokia 1100 to iOS.