VoIP User Connects 14 Million BT Customers To iNUM

VoIP User Connects 14 Million BT Customers To iNUM

VoipUser.org, the largest open-source VoIP network, has today announced the interconnection of British Telecom 0870 range numbers to the VoIP peering iNUM network.
"VoIP remains restricted by the lack of interconnection between networks," said Dean Elwood, founder of VoIP User. "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".

British Telecom Plc, the UK's largest telecom provider, announced that from 16th January 2009 it will make 0870 numbers free to call to subscribers on their Anytime call plan.
John Peter, managing Director of BT's Consumer Business, said in a Press Release on Thursday "All of our 14 million Anytime customers have free calls included in their package and now all 14 million have free calls to 0870 at times that fit with their calling plan, which is something not offered by any of our competitors."
Ian Plain, of technical consultancy cyber-cottage.co.uk, who architected the system for VoIP User, said "we created a mapping service for the 0870 iNUM interconnect. The system is accessed by users dialling 08700 68 58 48 from a BT landline and entering an iNUM number to contact. Details can also be stored meaning that the caller only ever has to enter the iNUM number to contact once."

Tjardick van der Kraan, co-founder of VoIP User, said "The value add for customers of our 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. This effectively connects British Telecom customers to Worldwide iNUM VoIP customers with no per minute charge."
The iNUM Peering Network, run by Belgium based Voxbone S.A. operates using a standards based mechanism for traffic exchange between telecommunications networks.
Traditional dial codes are tied to a particular country or city. iNUM numbers avoid this limitation and users can therefore keep their number wherever they go in the world, being reachable on the same number for life.