NOW to offer lower rates for ISD calls

new delhi: internet service provider (isp) data access —a richard li and siddhartha ray venture —has joined hands with us-based internet phone firm itxc to enter isd market. the firm, which has applied for license from dot, would operate international long distance (ild) services under the now brand. under the tie-up, data access will route international voice traffic over itxc's internet-based voice network to 150 countries.the firm is also claiming lower charges for ild calls on its network. "our prices would be cheaper by more than 50 per cent and offer quality service to customers," data access managing director siddhartha ray told the times of india. it means a telephone call from delhi to new york would cost less than rs 25 per minute compared to rs 55 paid by customers today. this is the first major private-to-private carrier agreement prior to the opening up of the isd market. data access, which has already built isp gateway, would now add voice service to the existing data service in delhi, mumbai, chennai, bangalore. it also plans to add calcutta to the existing network. ray said the service would be launched on april 1 when vsnl's monopoly on the long distance market comes to an end. "ild is a natural extension of product for us where we add voice service to pure data and gateway internet services," said ray. the nasdaq-listed itxc officials predicted isd calls from india would increase from april. "we are bullish on india and expect telephone traffic to increase dramatically," said tom evskub, chairman and ceo of itxc which has a reach in 150 countries.