New mobile VoIP service enters market

The battle for control of the mobile phone has been joined by Challenger mobile who has released a VoIP service specifically for the Nokia N80ie and the N95.

This follows other services, such as the web-based Jajah VoIP solution, being targeted by mobile telephony operators as VoIP calls are seen as a threat to their revenues from higher-priced mobile calls.

Challenger mobile's VoIP offering allows users to make calls between mobile phones using the service for free, while a low rate is charged to connect to landline phones or non-Challenger mobiles.

But one feature which is not so typical is that users will be able to forward their VoIP calls to their normal mobile phone number when they are in range of a Wi-Fi hotpoint, as long as the handset can access the internet wirelessly.

The Challenger application can be downloaded directly onto the phones, but interested users should check with their mobile operator beforehand to see if they will face higher fees from connecting to the internet to make calls and whether the operator is likely to block the service.