Last night’s network news dominated T-Mobile’s early CTIA announcements, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give a hearty pat on the back to their Bobsled service for surpassing one million users. Bobsled launched in 2011 as a way to allow users to “…make free phone calls over almost any data connection from their mobile and Wi-Fi-enabled devices including Android-powered smartphones and tablets as well as iOS devices.”

“T-Mobile is committed to expanding innovative communication experiences beyond our own wireless customer base to include people across all networks, devices, countries and carriers,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president, T-Mobile USA. “The popularity and continued growth of the Bobsled service is testament to consumers’ desire for simple ways to stay connected with friends and family.”

T-Mobile brought with some facts to help support Bobsled’s growth:

— Since April 2011, more than 10 million calls have been made on the Bobsled Calling application.

— Of the millions of Bobsled calls made to phone numbers, 80 percent originate from outside the U.S.

— Of the more than 1 million Bobsled Calling users, 95 percent are not T-Mobile wireless subscribers, showing that the company’s strategy of universal communication is resonating with both T-Mobile customers and noncustomers alike.

— Although Bobsled Calling has seen significant international usage, Bobsled Messaging users are predominately U.S. based, with 90 percent of messages sent domestically.

Bobsled Messaging is available for free of charge on all Android-powered smartphones and tablets through the Google Play store. The Bobsled calling application is available for download through Google Play and iTunes. In my eyes, Bobsled is a bona-fide Google Voice contender, now all it needs is a little more marketing for the public to discover its existence. All in all, it’s a reliable service and definitely one for international travelers to keep an eye on.

Full Press Release:

T-Mobile(R) USA, Inc. today announced it has surpassed 1 million users of Bobsled(R) by T-Mobile, marking a key milestone in the growth of its universal IP communication service.

Launched in April 2011, Bobsled Calling has enabled users to make free phone calls over almost any data connection from their mobile and Wi-Fi-enabled devices including Android-powered smartphones and tablets as well as iOS devices. With the introduction of the Bobsled Messaging application earlier this year, consumers also have easy access to an all-in-one, cloud-based service that allows them to send and receive individual and group messages with friends and family using any supported platform.

“T-Mobile is committed to expanding innovative communication experiences beyond our own wireless customer base to include people across all networks, devices, countries and carriers,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president, T-Mobile USA. “The popularity and continued growth of the Bobsled service is testament to consumers’ desire for simple ways to stay connected with friends and family.”

As the Bobsled service continues to evolve and grow, trends indicate that the service is being used frequently and on a worldwide scale:

— Since April 2011, more than 10 million calls have been made on the Bobsled Calling application.

— Of the millions of Bobsled calls made to phone numbers, 80 percent originate from outside the U.S.

— Of the more than 1 million Bobsled Calling users, 95 percent are not T-Mobile wireless subscribers, showing that the company’s strategy of universal communication is resonating with both T-Mobile customers and noncustomers alike.

— Although Bobsled Calling has seen significant international usage, Bobsled Messaging users are predominately U.S. based, with 90 percent of messages sent domestically.

Availability

Bobsled Messaging is now available for download free of charge on all Android-powered smartphones and tablets through the Google Play Store on Android and can be accessed through any browser-enabled device. The Bobsled Calling application is available for download through the Google Play Store on Android and the iTunes App Store. For more information on Bobsled by T-Mobile, please visit www.bobsled.com .

Bobsled Messaging is powered by HDmessaging Inc. Using HDmessaging’s cloud-based contact and message storage and synchronization technologies, Bobsled customers can access their contact list and messages across almost all their connected devices.

Bobsled Calling is powered by Vivox Inc. Leveraging Vivox’s VoiceEverywhere technology, T-Mobile and Vivox are ushering in a new era of voice communications — online, on the go, virtually wherever and however users want to converse.