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Start-up brings Net telephony to cell phones

A new gadget from i2 Telecom allows cell phone users to tap into VoIP technology.

CNET News staff
Communications start-up i2 Telecom International announced a new gadget that will allow cell phone users to make calls using voice-over-Internet Protocol technology.

The product, called InternetTalker MG-3, is expected to be released next month. Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is a cheap, Net-based alternative to traditional telephone service.


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"Anyone with a cell phone can now take the power of our VoIP solutions with them and realize dramatic savings when making business and personal calls from anywhere to anywhere in the world," Rick Scherle, senior vice president for marketing at i2Telecom, said in a statement.

InternetTalker MG-3 essentially acts as a bridge between customers' cell phones and their existing landline and Internet connection. By calling into the phone line, consumers can establish a VoIP connection.

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The product's Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standards help it work with multiple cellular protocols including CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications).

More companies are starting to take an interest in bringing Internet telephony to portable devices like cell phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants). Skype Technologies last month released a test version of Net telephony software for handheld devices.

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