WorldTel Debuts VoIP Service For Cellphones

By Greg Scoblete -- TWICE, 2/11/2008

ENCINO, CALIF. — Telecommunications start-up WorldTel Xchange has launched a new device to enable VoIP dialing from a cellular phone.

Dubbed 1ButtonToWiFi, the device can deliver a VoIP dial tone to a cellular phone though it does not actually use Wi-Fi networking to place calls.

Users connect a "control center" adapter to a broadband Internet connection and are assigned a number that can be programmed into a cellular phone's speed dial. Once dialed, the number will connect a cellphone to the adapter and place the subsequent call over the Internet through WorldTel's VoIP network.

Consumers will use cellular minutes but will avoid carrier charges for long-distance or international calls, said CEO Steve Lipman.

Consumers can also connect home phones to the control center for residential use.

The company charges users on a pay-per-minute basis, with rates varying by region and international destination.

WorldTel's VoIP service supports call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding and screening and online account management. Additional features include find me/follow me, voice mail-to-email and three-way calling.

The device is expected to be available at retail at the end of the year. It is currently selling from the firm's Web site for $199. As the product moves to retail the price may be lowered to the $159 to $169 range, Lipman said.