Vonage Applauds FCC Order Supporting Lower Rates to Call Pakistan

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Mar 06, 2013, 08:00 ET

HOLMDEL, N.J., March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (VG) applauds the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for issuing an order yesterday that prohibits U.S. telecommunications providers from paying rates for calls to Pakistan above those in place prior to October 1, 2012, when telecommunications providers in Pakistan, with the support of the Pakistani government, increased the cost to complete calls to the country by more than 500 percent (the "Order"). The Order was issued as a result of Vonage's petition for FCC intervention to fight the price increase on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis living in the United States. The petition was universally supported by providers in the U.S.

Vonage provides innovative and affordable calling solutions that enable consumers to call family and friends around the world at the most cost-effective rates possible, so they can talk longer and more often. Prior to the cost increase, Vonage had added Pakistan to its flagship flat-rate international calling plan, Vonage World, as an unlimited calling destination in response to strong consumer demand. As a result of the anti-competitive steps taken by telecommunications providers in Pakistan, Vonage and providers worldwide experienced a sudden and dramatic increase in the cost to complete calls to the country, and Vonage was compelled to charge per-minute rates for all calls to Pakistan.

"Vonage is extremely disappointed in the exorbitant price increase imposed by the Pakistani providers. The increase hurts consumers and prevents us from providing greater value to our Pakistani customers," said Michael Tempora, Senior Vice President of Product Management for Vonage. "Vonage appreciates the efforts of the United States government and the FCC. We are hopeful that this Order will spark a prompt reduction in calling rates so that consumers can once again afford to call Pakistan with the freedom and frequency they enjoyed before."

About Vonage
Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of communications services connecting individuals through cloud-connected devices worldwide. Our technology serves approximately 2.4 million subscribers. We provide feature-rich, affordable communication solutions that offer flexibility, portability and ease-of-use for both landline and mobile phones. Our Vonage World plan offers unlimited calling to more than 60 countries with popular features like call waiting, call forwarding and visual voicemail – for one low monthly rate. Our Vonage Mobile app is a free downloadable app for iPhone® and Android™ that lets users talk and text worldwide for free with anyone else who uses the app. Vonage's service is sold on the web and through regional and national retailers including Walmart, Best Buy, Kmart and Sears, and is available to customers in the U.S. (www.vonage.com), Canada (www.vonage.ca) and the United Kingdom (www.vonage.co.uk).

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage® is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc.

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SOURCE Vonage