Viber is a very famous mobile application in Nepal. It is one of the most popular chattings, messaging, and calling apps in the Nepali mobile application market. Viber is mainly a VOIP and instant messaging application. Viber is a free service which is why many people use it to connect with friends and family all over the world. There is another service named “Viber Out” on Viber which is special because it is paid. It allows calling people on mobile, or landline who don’t have the Viber application. People need actual money or credit for this. In Nepal, making international payments is very hard so eSewa is providing a way to load Viber out credit in Nepal.
Viber, Whatsapp, IMO, and other applications have made messaging, file sharing, and calling free and easy for everyone. People are now reducing the use of paid normal calls and SMS. Moreover, these services have virtually removed the expensive ISD and STD calls from our lives. We can basically call anyone at any time for free anywhere in the world until both have a good internet connection. So these applications have made our lives many times easier and more cost-effective.
One thing we need to bear in mind is that we need a constant internet connection and the same mobile apps on both devices for these services to work. Now, what if there is no internet and mobile app data on another end? This is where Viber out comes into play. So with Viber out, people can make domestic and international calls even if other person doesn’t have an internet connection or Viber app.
What is Viber Out?
Viber Out is a special Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) service where users can make calls to users without internet or application. It just requires the caller or dialer to have a mobile application (Viber) and internet. The receiver just needs to be in a location where their mobile network is good and active. Using Viber Out won’t levy charges on the caller from the telecom operator. However, the receiver may be charged for incoming calls as per their network provider rules.
Let us take a scenario to explain. Suppose you have a good internet connection at your home and have a smartphone with Viber. Now you have your grandparents in the village or countryside of another country with no internet connection and a smartphone. They just use a feature phone to receive calls and make calls. It has been a long time and you want to talk with them. You check the call rate and see that ISD call rates are exorbitant but Viber out rates are reasonable.
So if you want to call them at a cheaper rate, you can load your Viber account with credit for Viber out and make calls from your app. For this, you just need to load your account, open the Viber app, and have an internet connection. Dial the number from Viber Out and your grandparents can receive your call without an internet connection or app in their regular number. This way VOIP calls can be done and we can have a normal call.
Therefore using this technique, Nepalese people can call their loved ones in foreign countries and vice versa at cheaper rates. Instead of paying high ISD call charges, people can enjoy cheap calls. The call rate per minute is different for each country. People from Nepal mostly call the USA, Australia, India, and Gulf countries at very affordable rates using this service.
How to Pay for Viber Out Credit Payment Through eSewa?
International payment gateway is not easily available in Nepal for now. There are various ways to make international payments from Nepal and even have a PayPal account in Nepal but those are extremely hard. We can say that a normal Nepali can’t have those. As far as we have heard and read, the policy was in development but implementation is taking time. Also, one big thing we need to understand is that if international payment is made easy, many people would spend a lot irresponsibly which will cause depletion of forex reserves. This is the reason our debit cards don’t work internationally and we can’t have PayPal in Nepal.
Now, in the case of Viber Out, we can’t use our domestic NPR debit and credit card to load funds. So eSewa has partnered with Viber to provide this service. It is very easy to buy credit using eSewa. Just follow the below-given steps on how to buy Viber out credit.
- Login to the eSewa website or mobile app.
- Load your account with an adequate amount of money.
- Go to the “Instant Messaging” section.
- Find out the “Viber Out Credit” option.
- Enter your Viber ID or phone number.
- Select the desired amount which from $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99.
- Submit and make the payment.
NTA Bans Viber Out Service (Update of September)
Just in February of 2017, the eSewa service was reported by us and now in September of 2017, we have reported the closure of the service. Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA) published a notice on Viber Out. The notice warns people not to use Viber Out in Nepal. They are imposing penalties on the users according to the law. NTA has requested everyone to not make calls on Nepali mobile phones or landlines from now on using such VOIP services. This is actually due to an IP Telephony problem.
NTA is warning all Viber users to be aware. People can still use Viber and other services for IP-to-IP calling. They just can’t use the services to make calls using the internet to landline or mobile phone in Nepal. The main reason is that government can’t enjoy tax over those calls. This also causes telecom companies to lose revenue that otherwise would have been collected. The government is also imposing Rs 50,000 fine on the rule violators.
We sometimes read news in newspapers regarding Nepal Police cracking down on VoIP call bypass. VOIP is the technology that allows users to talk or send and receive voice via the Internet. Viber, WhatsApp, and Skype are some popular examples. In the free version, people can call other users via the internet. This is still available and leagal. So just don’t use Viber Out to be safe and be compliant to the law.
