IT Cost Reduction

To enable large-scale cross networking calls among Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) users, open-source VoIP network VoIP User announced interconnection of British Telecom0870 range numbers to its VoIP peering iNUM network.

 

VoIP User provides hosted telephony services funded by the same community that uses these services. VoIP User's business model is based on inbound public switched telephone network (PSTN) traffic revenue being used to purchase pre-wholesale bulk outbound routing. 

 

British Telecom, the UK's largest telecom provider, said it would provide 0870 free numbers to call to subscribers on their Anytime call plan starting January 16^th 2009. On Thursday, the company announced that all of their 14 million Anytime customers have free calls included in their package, allowing them to have free calls to 0870.

 

cyber-cottage.co.uk, a technical consultancy, is the architect of the system. They created a mapping service for the 0870 iNUM interconnect. The system is accessed by users dialling 08700 68 58 48 from a BT (News - Alert) landline and entering an iNUM number to contact. Users can store the details, so they only ever have to enter the iNUM number to contact once.

 

“VoIP remains restricted by the lack of interconnection between networks,” said Dean Elwood, founder of VoIP User, in a statement. “By interconnecting to the BT 0870 range, we have enabled cross-network calling for 14 million users which is free of charge at off-peak times. What we have achieved today is the extension of our service into a new network of over a million VoIP users”.

 

The iNUM Peering Network is run by Belgium based Voxbone. The network operates using a standards based mechanism for traffic exchange between telecommunications networks.

 

Unlike the traditional dial codes that are restricted to a particular country or city, iNUM numbers allow users to keep their number wherever they go in the world, being reachable on the same number for life.

 

The most significant outcome of these interconnected services is the ability to call iNUM +883 range numbers, the so-called 'Earth Area Code', free of charge at off-peak times from a BT landline,” says Tjardick van der Kraan, co-founder of VoIP User. “This effectively connects British Telecom customers to worldwide iNUM VoIP customers with no per minute charge.”