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