ISP, Vonage Team On Wireless VoIP

Wireless ISP TowerStream and VoIP vendor Vonage said Tuesday they will team to offer phone service to TowerStream's customers.

TowerStream uses pre-WiMAX equipment to offer fixed broadband service to business customers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston and Providence, Rhode Island. Vonage's VoIP service will be offered to TowerStream's customers, according to the companies.

A TowerStream executive said this is not just a marketing deal but signifies an important change in how telecom services are offered.

"TowerStream and Vonage both represent alternatives to the legacy telephone networks," TowerStream COO Jeff Thompson said in a statement. "This collaboration will serve as the clearest example of the symbiotic relationship between VoIP and wireless broadband over the last mile."

Thompson has said previously that he expects wireless ISPs like TowerStream to become major players in the telecom arena.