http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/13/republic-wireless-is-launching-free-international-calling-powered-by-their-own-country-code
This seems to be a just a little more than a rehashed iNum.net that has not really gone anywhere over the years and similar to enum.org as well. Great concepts but not a revenue generator for any of the telco/cell companys. As in show me the money! See the dream below.
"To sum things up, at this point Republic's free international calling isn't going to be especially useful — your inbound international calls probably won't be free. But that will change as it (hopefully) announces that traditional carriers have started to come onboard. I'm looking at this as a very ambitious and potentially awesome experiment (which could be said of the company in general, actually).
Because if this works out, to the point that it becomes the norm for carriers around the world to support Republic Wireless's international code, it could really change the whole game as far as international calling is concerned. Free calls, to any phone, has a really nice ring to it."
First, what does this announcement have to do with Google Voice?. Moreover, the relation to Obi is quite tenuous as well. If you are Republic Wireless customer, you get a WiFi/Cell phone from them, and you can receive "toll-free" calls from anywhere in the world.
Second, and IMO more important, the value for this service is very limited. My aunt in Timbuktu* is not going to switch to this service; so it won't help me to save on calls to her. Granted, it will may help her to call me cheaper - but Timbuktu is notorious for adding fees to whatever they can; so I am skeptical that the calls will be actually free for her... In any event, there is a sipbroker access number; so she calls me using the local number, anyway.
It looks like for the businesses who need a world-wide toll-free number it may be an interesting solution (but then it should go to some switchboard number; not to an individual's cell phone) - but I have trouble imagining a wider use case for it...
* Don't try to contact my aunt; and don't try to find Timbuktu on the map 8)