Primus Telecom today announced the launch of TalkBroadband, a new powerful and feature-rich nationwide Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service that uses broadband instead of traditional copper lines.

The new Primus TalkBroadband service dramatically cuts telephone costs with untimed calls to anywhere in Australia for a flat 10 cents per call. Calls to other Primus TalkBroadband numbers are free of call charges, and calls to overseas start at 2.7 cents a minute. TalkBroadband’s rates are amongst the lowest in Australia.

TalkBroadband, which is modelled on Primus’ highly successful broadband phone service, Lingo, in the U.S., is designed to be simple to use just like the traditional phone service and yet includes - at no extra cost - powerful features like call waiting, call forwarding, call return, and last number redial.

TalkBroadband does not require a user to have a computer because it’s possible to connect the service directly to a broadband connection. With Primus broadband plans starting at $9.90 a month, it is economical to consider a broadband connection solely for TalkBroadband.

“TalkBroadband is easy to install and use as a supplement to a customers’ standard telephone,” said Primus Telecom Managing Director Greg Wilson. “You don’t have to be a computer wizard.”

TalkBroadband also offers significant savings for small and medium businesses, and allows organisations to use a common IP network to integrate telecommunications and IT systems.

Mr. Wilson said the introduction of TalkBroadband was a landmark step in the evolution of the organisation’s services in Australia.

“Primus is the first major telecommunications company in Australia to release a phone service using the Internet to the residential market.

“I am very confident that, with the experience and the success we have seen with our Lingo VoIP service in the US market, we have been able to develop a premium grade product which is well suited to the Australian market and which delivers exceptional value,” he said.

The service is available to anyone with a broadband connection including new broadband customers, as well as existing Primus customers.

TalkBroadband Plans

Primus will offer three monthly TalkBroadband plans:

– The Starter Plan costs $9.95 a month and gives access to all the new low call rates.

– The Family Plan costs $19.95 a month and comes with 100 included free local and national calls and 200 free minutes of international talk time to the top 15 Primus overseas destinations.

– The Premium Plan costs $29.95 a month and comes with 200 free local and national calls and 400 minutes of free talk time to the top 15 Primus overseas destinations.

The top 15 countries include Canada, China, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom, USA, Argentina, Sweden, Netherlands, France, and Denmark.

Call costs on each plan will be a flat 10 cents for all local and domestic long distance calls. Charges for international calls start from 2.7 cents a minute to Canada, China, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, UK and the United States.

Source: BusinessWire