Ooma offers VoIP through 'peer-to-peer' innovation

Newly-launched VoIP service Ooma uses a routing system similar to the peer-to-peer sharing data community online to allow normal phones to bypass call costs.

Available only in the US at present, the system manages to avoid points in the phone network at which fees are normally collected by searching its database to find a user in the local area of the call's destination and using their connection to complete the call.

In the US, as with many phone operators in the UK, local calls are free and so this system allows users to avoid any costs.

The only outlay is an initial $399 (£195) fee to Ooma for the box which connects to the user's normal fixed line.

"It's nothing like anything a carrier can do currently," the firm's chief executive Andrew Frame said.

"Once you own the box, you don't have to pay ooma anything in the future."

Other benefits of the Ooma service are that, as the normal landline is being used there is no danger of being unable to make an emergency call in case of the power being out and the firm provides a free second line to ensure no user has their service interrupted by another user making a local call through their line.