PointOne Links PSTN to VoIP Services without DIDs

PointOne Inc. has established a service to allow callers on the PSTN to place calls to VoIP services that do not provide dial-able phone numbers (DIDs), such as Yahoo!, MSN or Free World Dialup.

PointOne has established access phone numbers in about 20 cities throughout the United States. Subscribers to non-DID VoIP services using the PointOne network are given PIN numbers.  Callers from the PSTN dial one of the access numbers, input the PIN and are connected to the VoIP-only customer.

“If you are a Yahoo! user and access the PointOne network from an access point, we can bring in that service,” says Steve Braasch, vice president of marketing. “You should be able to make that call.”

Cities with access numbers include Dallas, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. “We are able to do this because these are core points of presence,” says Braasch, “This is another example of the power of VoIP.”

The new service is enabled by PointOne’s Global Bridge network, which establishes peering relationships between VoIP networks. Global Bridge is used already by Free World Dialup, SIPphone Inc. and the Gizmo Project.

PointOne is not yet selling the service, which could be offered on either a wholesale or retail basis, and is developing its plan for taking it to market.

“We are evolving the service,” says Braasch. ”We are providing interconnection today. Once we are convinced that it works the way we want it to, then we can sell it.”

He adds that the target area “will be the United States first, and then we will take it from there.”

PointOne operates a large VoIP network throughout North America.

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