Vonage is set to launch a Wi-Fi service in the UK. The service in question will allow users who have paid for a specially enabled Wi-Fi mobile handset to make calls charged at landline rates from hotspots.
"It's really a wake-up call for the telecoms market. It's saying there's really a much better, cheaper way of making calls," Vonage managing director Kerry Ritz said. "This is the inevitable next stage in the voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) revolution."
The handsets cost about $142 each, and resemble large mobile phones. Vonage customers who already pay $14.25 (7.99 pounds) plus line rental to make unlimited Internet calls to U.K. and Irish landlines will pay no extra for the service; all they have to do is buy the handset. BT is planning a similar service in the future.