Voipfone available via BT landlines

London-based Inet Telecoms Ltd has launched an internet telephony service which uses BT telephone landlines and existing telephone equipment. Customers also keep their existing telephone number and use their phones in exactly the same way as usual.

The new service provides the benefits of VoIP, such as cheaper calls, call transfer, call hold, music on hold and call recording, without using VoIP or even a broadband connection.

Voipfone provides the new service by engineering traditional Carrier Preference Service (CPS) technology and blending it into IP services.

The new service is designed for small businesses which have traditional telephone equipment, and want to benefit from VoIP without investing in new technology.

Voipfone plans to extend the service further to allow inbound calls, as well as outbound ones, allowing customers to use features such as telephone extensions, call groups, call forwarding and voicemail.

Voipfone charges a one-off fee of £20 to set up the service and to liaise with BT. When the service is set up, calls are charged at ordinary Voipfone rates. The switchboard services are provided free of charge. Businesses who use the new service can easily upgrade to a fully VoIP service.