Pingo offers free calling for Lunar New Year

Telecommunications services company iBasis Inc. plans to offer free calling to China and Vietnam during Chinese New Year festivities.

IBasis of Burlington operates an online prepaid calling card service called Pingo, and iBasis said today that Pingo will offer free calling to China and Vietnam from Feb. 18 through March 4, the Lunar New Year Festival season.

Pingo calls are carried over the iBasis Network, a Voice over Internet, or VoIP, network.

"Pingo can help families that are separated by many miles to stay close throughout the year by enabling them to call more often and talk longer," iBasis chief executive Ofer Gneezy said in a statement.