Intel backed Wi-Fi firm offering Wi-Fi voice

That is likely to put the fear of god into mobile phone operators if the quality ofTeleSym's software is good enough, and it becomes widely used.

Some network operators here in the UK seem strangely reluctant to start Wi-Fi networks, while others, such as BT Openzone, charge a great deal for Wi-Fi subscriptions.

TeleSym claims its Symphone software allows crisp voice calling for Wi-Fi wireless networks. The firm said that calls can be made across the net not only from notebooks but from some PDAs.

A business system that includes server software costs less than $300 per user, the firm claims.

It also claims that calling across the Internet produces "near CD quality" without any perceptible delay.

The firm offers its software on a trial basis for Windows machines (XP, Windows 200) and for Pocket PC 2002 PDAs so far, that use 802.11b. The trial version allows free Symphone to Symphone calls, and free calls to any address in Seattle. here.

In addition to funding Symphone, Intel has also provided additional funding for STSN, a provider of Wi-Fi tech to hotels and conference centres. µ