Net2Phone and TSTT Sign Exclusive Retail VoIP Partnership
Monday February 9, 8:30 am ET
NEWARK, N.J. & PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 2004--Net2Phone Global Services (NGS), LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Net2Phone, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTOP - News), the leading provider of retail Voice over IP (VoIP) services, and Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), the only licensed telecommunications provider in Trinidad and Tobago, today announced an agreement to market a suite of co-branded retail services in Trinidad and Tobago using Net2Phone's hosted VoIP platform. The exclusive agreement builds on the flexibility of Net2Phone Global Services' hosted platform to deliver multiple VoIP products and services utilizing one robust platform at a low cost to service providers. The Trinidad and Tobago government has a 51% stake in TSTT and operating partner Cable & Wireless, PLC (NYSE: CWP - News) owns 49%.
Under the two-year exclusive agreement, Net2Phone will work in conjunction with TSTT to deliver VoIP calling cards, including prefix dialing services, (similar to 10-10 services in the US), and Internet telephony call shop services. Launched today in a major kickoff event, the cards are being marketed and distributed by TSTT through third-party retail outlets throughout the country. A detailed description of the calling cards, including camera-ready photos can be found at net2phone.com.
To address the growing community of Trinidadians living abroad, the companies are also working together to develop a calling card that can be used in Trinidad and Tobago as well as additional countries such as the US, UK and Canada, allowing friends and family to share one account to make calls to and from their respective countries.
"We are very enthusiastic about empowering our customers island-wide with calling services supported by Net2Phone's VoIP technology. We are particularly excited about the Net2Phone powered calling cards, enabling consumers around the country to place inexpensive calls using any of TSTT's 2600-plus public payphones," said Samuel Martin, CEO of TSTT. "Net2Phone has demonstrated its ability to quickly deliver quality services to our customers, by assisting us to launch the calling cards within 30 days of signing the contract. We look forward to an evolving long-term relationship with them, continuing to deliver exceptional products to our customers."
"TSTT is now a pioneer among PTTs, deploying retail VOIP solutions nationwide and addressing the growing need for affordable international telecommunications services," said Bryan Wiener, President of Net2Phone Global Services. "Telcos like TSTT are now looking at Net2Phone as an enabler for retail VoIP services instead of a competitive threat in their markets."
This partnership builds on Net2Phone Global Services' strategy to offer hosted VoIP solutions to partners globally, enabling them to expedite their time to market while benefiting from outsourcing their deployments to a provider that has the technical expertise, robust back-office and worldwide network to support multiple services on a single platform. Net2Phone helps reduce partners' capex and opex by managing all the back office billing, account generation, rating, routing and provisioning, while partners are responsible for sales, marketing, first level customer support and distribution.
About Net2Phone
Founded in 1995, Net2Phone is a leading provider of retail VoIP services globally, comprised of two wholly owned subsidiaries. Net2Phone Global Services ("NGS") provides consumers and small businesses globally with bundled voice and enhanced services either directly or via partners. Net2Phone Cable Telephony ("NCT") provides cable operators with a turn-key solution to deliver residential phone service to their subscribers. While the opportunities for each unit differ, each division relies on quality partners for distribution and each utilizes a centralized platform to deliver retail services at a low incremental cost. Traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol NTOP, Net2Phone's strategic partners and investors include Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L; LMC.B) and IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT; IDT.C). For more information about Net2Phone's products and services, please visit www.net2phone.com (http://www.net2phone.com).
About TSTT
Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited is the sole licensed provider of telephone services in Trinidad and Tobago. The company is jointly owned by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (51%) and Cable & Wireless (49%). Over the past 5 years TSTT's customer base has grown on average by 4.8% and stood at 324,330 lines as of December of 2002. Services provided include basic telephony, mobile (GSM & TDMA), Internet, lease lines and data services. The switching and transport infrastructure are both 100% digital. The transport network comprises primarily fibre optic based systems supported by microwave radio systems. Key customers include banking and insurance, petroleum and energy based industries, government and tourism. More information about TSTT can be found at (http://www.tstt.co.tt). |
