Primus Telecom calls in a new VoIP service.

Primus Telecom has entered the booming VoIP market with its own national consumer and business service.

TalkBroadband is leading with a price-based pitch offering untimed calls anywhere within Australia for a flat 10 cents per call.

Overseas call rates start at 2.7 cents a minute, and similar to Skype, calls to other Primus TalkBroadband numbers will be free.

Primus has also launched three new plans with the service: the Starter Plan costs $9.95 a month, the Family Plan $19.95 and the Premium Plan, $29.95.

The VoIP service is modelled on Primus US’ broadband phone service, Lingo, which features traditional phone services and features like call waiting, call forwarding, call return, and last number redial.

The service is not dependent on a user having a PC as it can be connected straight to a broadband connection.

Primus Telecom managing director, Greg Wilson, said the new service would be able to stand out despite the myriad of rival services, such as People Telecom and BigAir, available.

“Being one of the majors with a significant fixed line and ISP customer base provides a level of reassurance,” he said. “That’s backed up by our experience with the highly successful Lingo service offering in the US.”

SMEs in particular were expected to adopt the new offering based on potential cost savings – particularly in long distance and international calls, Wilson said.

“Other services require handsets and headsets which plug into a PC,” he said. “We just have an adapter that sits behind the DSL connection which goes straight into the standard handset – it’s much cleaner.”

Wilson said it was too early to determine what the likely adoption rate of the new offering would be.