The company, formed at the beginning of last year by a group of telecoms, Internet professionals and application developers, offer a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) software-based service that lets customers have their own local Direct Inward Dialling (DID) number which they dial from their PDA or Web-enabled mobile phone, which then gets routed anywhere in the world through Mint Telecom's VOIP network.

Customers pre-pay for the service with a monthly A$6.95 fee and blocks of minutes (starting at US$10) which are deducted by Mint Telecom in line with its international rates.

In April, the company plans to launch a J2ME application that will allow VOIP calls to be made from a traditional mobile phone. The J2ME will ping the server with any international number - which will then direct the phone to dial the (DID) number- which rings Mint Telecom's server and then the call is connected via Mint Telecom's VOIP network in conjunction with partners that include Global Crossing, RNK Telecom, and Voxeo.

Co founder and chief executive officer, Jason Jepson believes Mint Telecom's services are attractive because they offer international dialling with the ease of local calling all at VOIP rates coupled with call quality, privacy and true mobility.

"It offers VOIP to the customer without having to push Wi-Fi, extra hardware or a softphone," he said.