Ooma, Inc., a smart communications platform for businesses and consumers, today announced that it has added Cellular Mode to the Ooma Home Phone mobile app, giving users of the Ooma home phone service a new option for reliable connections when calling on the go. Ooma Cellular Mode

Ooma home phone service is the top-rated voice over internet (VoIP) service, based on surveys by a top consumer publication, and offers free calling – users only pay applicable taxes and fees. The companion Ooma Home Phone mobile app, available free for iOS and Android, makes it easy to place and receive home phone calls through a smartphone or tablet.

There are two ways to connect when using the Ooma mobile app: Ooma Cellular Mode

• VoIP Mode – Uses the mobile device’s internet connection for Ooma calls. That connection can be through Wi-Fi^® or the wireless carrier’s data network. Wi-Fi is particularly popular when traveling outside the United States or Canada, because Ooma calls through Wi-Fi don’t incur any cellular roaming or long-distance fees. Connecting through the carrier’s data network can be preferable if the device has a high-capacity or unlimited data plan.

• Cellular Mode (new!) – Uses the mobile device’s voice network for Ooma calls. In many cases, the voice network connection is stronger than the data network connection, especially when in motion. Also, Cellular Mode may be more affordable when the service plan provides unlimited voice minutes but puts a cap on data usage.

“We’re pleased to give Ooma residential customers the flexibility to select the calling mode that works best in any given situation – for example, Wi-Fi while indoors at a school or office, cellular data while standing still outdoors in an area with strong coverage, or cellular voice during a road trip,” said Tim Sullivan, vice president of retail sales at Ooma. “One common use case is commuters or truck drivers who have family in India or elsewhere abroad and use the Ooma app in Cellular Mode on the road to avoid data overages while still enjoying Ooma’s low international calling rates.”

Ooma Telo is typically much less expensive and more feature-rich than traditional phone service, provides unlimited nationwide calling, and offers Ooma’s PureVoice HD technology for crystal clear connections even in challenging internet connectivity environments. Ooma also provides a caller’s location to local 911 operators, unlike mobile phones. The optional Ooma Premier service offers a range of advanced features that include robocall blocking, voicemail-to-email forwarding, and a second phone number. Ooma Cellular Mode