Net2Phone touts wireless Net telephony

Net2Phone on Thursday announced a new set of products designed to let service providers offer customers the ability to make phone calls using a wireless connection to the Internet.

The company's wireless voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services use Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to let people place Internet calls using Wi-Fi enabled products. SIP, a standard behind many popular Internet telephone, videophone and instant messaging services, is widely regarded as the cornerstone of Net-based phone calling.

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Net2Phone said IDT, its former parent company, plans to launch phone service in parts of Newark, N.J. Customers of IDT will be able to make domestic and international phone calls via a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet, bypassing local telephone companies. The services offered include inbound and outbound calling with phone number selection, call waiting, caller-identification services and voicemail, the company said.

VoIP is gaining popularity among carriers as a way to cut traffic costs on international and long-distance calls. Wireless VoIP extends the reach of traditional voice and data services. Sun Microsystems and other tech giants plan to implement VoIP technology in upcoming products. Broadband phone service provider Vonage has announced plans to make portable Wi-Fi phones available later this year.

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Net2Phone said its new offerings are targeted at wireless Internet service providers, rural telecom companies, wireline high-speed data service providers, providers of wireless home networks and mobile device makers. Net2Phone said it will route all calls over wireless IP networks to its SIP-based platform, which will handle tasks such as call management, billing and interconnection with landline networks.

"Net2Phone's wireless solutions remove the tether associated with VoIP, delivering the flexibility of a cellular phone anywhere in the world there is a Wi-Fi hot spot, without the need to be tied to a cell phone carrier," Stephen Greenberg, CEO of Net2Phone, said in a statement.