Viber has added new functionality to its service which will be useful particularly for people who tend to travel a lot. It’s providing users with the option to subscribe to a “local number” which will be able to receive phone calls and text messages the way that calls and messages are sent to mobile numbers in those particular markets. The local numbers are available in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The Viber Local Number service itself is available to all users across the globe but the numbers they can register are in the aforementioned countries. Viber will support all area codes in the U.S. at launch.
The first 10,000 people who sign up for the service will pay $1.99 per month for it indefinitely. The service will otherwise cost $4.99 per month. This is not too different from Microsoft’s Skype which has long offered users the ability to get a local number in a specific region.
“From expats who need a local phone number that connects them back home, to global business owners who want overseas clients to feel they are located nearby, this new feature gives them a local presence no matter where they are,” said Viber CEO Djamel Agaoua.