Net4India, deltathree offer Internet telephony

Chennai: The Internet solutions and services provider Net4India has connected with deltathree, one of the largest IP communications network solutions providers in the world, to offer Internet telephony services as of 1 April 2002. The agreement will enable Net4India customers to make overseas voice calls from their PCs using Net4Indias IP network and deltathrees back-office services.

As part of the alliance, Net4India will be offering prepaid calling cards through www.phonewala.com, a new website launched for the customers to register themselves for these calling cards. As an inaugural offer, Net4India will be offering 5,000 free-calling cards to its customers on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Says Net4India CEO Jasjit Sawhney: "This is a great opportunity for all the ISPs in India, as the doors of the Internet telephony market opens on 1 April. With the global Internet telephony market growing at an annual rate of 120 per cent and the PC-to-phone traffic reaching 280 million minutes per month, we foresee a similar growth rate in India as well. We have partnered with one of the largest IP communications solutions providers, and together we expect to garner a significant market-share by the end of this financial year."

Says deltathree COO Shimmy Zimels: "In recent years, Internet telephony has seen an exponential growth in the US and other world markets. India is at an important inflection crossroads today, with the deregulation of Internet telephony beginning on 1 April for licensed ISPs like Net4India. In the next six months we expect to see a significant adoption of  Internet telephony services in India. We expect the corporate customer to lead the adoption, with home users gradually following in."