In a convergence of banking and telecommunications, customers who use First National Bank's (FNB's) Internet service provider (ISP), FNB Connect, now get free access to their voice over IP (VOIP) services and the FNB Banking App.
The big four bank announced the introduction of free data for certain functions yesterday: “FNB Connect customers who are registered for their ADSL service will no longer pay for the data component of their VOIP calls.”
Farren Roper, head of FNB Connect ISP and business operations, says in addition, ADSL clients connected via WiFi will be able to access the FNB Banking App, without incurring any data charges. “Customers can also make VOIP calls on the app, with no data charges if they use FNB Connect over WiFi.”
Roper says the offer is a bid on FNB's part to encourage banking via its digital channels. “Our ADSL clients already have free access to FNB sites, but with the shift towards app banking, we wanted to extend the free access to our Banking App clients as well.”
Currently, FNB Connect voice clients can access their voice service through a PC phone, available on the FNB Connect Web site or from the FNB Banking App. FNB Connect offers free calls to other registered users, as well as FNB contact centres. South African cellular calls are priced from 79c per minute and customers can make calls to the top 20 international destinations - including India, the US and the UK - from 25c.
FNB Connect currently also zero-rates traffic from its network to the FNB Online, Connect and eBucks sites, as well as to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (between 7pm and 11pm), and educational sites like the SA Council of Higher Education Universities.
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