Rebtel Releases First-Ever Report on International Communication Habits of Kenyans in US
By Rebtel, PRNEMonday, December 21, 2009
Findings Conclude More People Are Calling Kenya More Often; Service Ease of Use and Call Quality More Important than Lower Costs to Kenya Callers
STOCKHOLM, December 22 - A new study issued this month shows several remarkable changes in the
ways Kenyans in the U.S. are communicating with loved ones and family in
Kenya. The research provided by Rebtel, based on its calling volume from
January 1, 2009 to November 1, 2009, shows several key findings.
Perhaps expectedly, Sunday is the most popular day that Kenyans in the
U.S. call their homeland. Texas followed by Minnesota, Georgia, Maryland and
California make up the most active states calling Kenya. But surprisingly,
Wichita, Kansas is the No.1 city on the list where calls to Kenya originate.
Nairobi and Mombasa are the top two destination cities, of course. But the
vast majority of calls are now going to mobile phones in Kenya rather than
landlines.
As of November 1, 2009, of those surveyed:
Kenyans in the U.S. spend just over 100 minutes per month - a little more
than an hour-and-a-half - on their monthly calls to Kenya.
Calls are going to friends and families more often on their cell phones
with service provided by Safaricom Mobile and Kencel Mobile vs. landlines.
Top Kenyan Phone Lines Receiving Calls from the U.S.: 1) Nairobi 2) Other destinations in Kenya 3) Mombasa Top U.S. Cities Calling Kenya: 1) Wichita, Kansas 2) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 3) Dallas, Texas 4) Minneapolis, Minnesota 5) Fort Worth, Texas 6) Raleigh, North Carolina 7) Atlanta, Georgia Rochester, Minnesota 9) Kansas City, Missouri 10) Houston, Texas
"Low rates combined with the most reliable and clear connections are
driving the increase in international calling to Kenya," said Rebtel CEO
Andreas Bernstrom.
Of callers participating in the survey, 58.4% said Rebtel is easier to
use than other international calling services and 48.2% said Rebtel's call
quality is much better than other services.
Nearly 78% of all calls to Kenya with Rebtel go to family members,
respondents said.
Founded in 2006, Stockholm-based Rebtel was established to give people
around the world an alternative to mobile operators' rip-off rates for making
international calls. Today, thousands of people living in the U.S. use Rebtel
to call Kenya for US$0.083 per minute to landlines or US$0.109 per minute to
mobile phones.
Rebtel has been ranked No.1 in international calling by Technology
Appraisals and has been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, San
Francisco Chronicle, and The International Herald Tribune for its unique
calling service.
About Rebtel
Rebtel is an Internet phone company that makes it possible to use any
phone to call anywhere in the world for just pennies per minute. Anyone may
make a free test call before setting up an account. Thereafter, customers
only pay for the minutes they use. No monthly fees, no connection fees and no
hidden costs. Free calls are possible between the 51 countries served by
Rebtel and only one of the two people on a call must be a Rebtel customer.
For more information, or to start using Rebtel services, go to
www.rebtel.com.
Greg Spector of Rebtel, +1-415-717-4666, greg.spector at rebtel.com
Tags: Africa, Rebtel, Stockholm, sweden