Piggy-backing on what appears to be the world’s most important product release since Ford’s Model T, a VoIP service provider today announced that it’s providing a low-price international call application for Apple’s (News - Alert) much-hyped third-generation iPhone.

 

Truphone officials say their application will help people avoid roaming charges when making calls from abroad or when trying to reach someone abroad.

 

“With just a few clicks to download and install Truphone, anyone can afford to take their iPhone on holiday this summer – or call their friends and family abroad,” said James Tagg (News - Alert), the company’s chief executive officer.

 

Like other VoIP services, Truphone (News - Alert) make calls to any number over the Internet instead of over GSM, “at Truphone’s fabulous internet ratesm,” company officials say.

 

Those rates generally are lower than traditional phones, leading to what some analysts call a general migration toward VoIP, a burgeoning market whose specialists are working toward improving quality.

 

Truphone officials warn that theirs is no replacement for an ordinary telephone service and emergency calls cannot be made using Truphone. However, Truphone does not prevent emergency calls being made through a handset’s normal cellular service provider, company officials say.

 

Truphone officials say their company’s rates are especially competitive for international calls, including landlines in 40 countries at 6 cents per minute and mobiles at just 30 cents per minute. To Canada, the United States and China, even calls to mobiles are just 6 cents per minute.

 

“Making a call using Truphone is exactly like making any other call on the iPhone (News - Alert) – a single touch to bring the dialer up on the touch screen, touch-dial the number or choose from the iPhone’s own address book, and a touch to start the call,” Truphone officials say.