It’s about bloody time…

Australian telecommunications company Primus has joined a growing number of Telco’s offering to provide internet TalkBroadband, featuring long distance and local calls for a flat rate of ten cents each.

International calls to the United States, China (including Hong Kong), Canada, Ireland, Greece, Singapore, Italy, the UK and New Zealand will be charged at 2.7 cents per minute. Calls to other Primus TalkBroadband numbers will be free.

TalkBroadband is one of a number of new IP telephony services that have brought conventional fixed-line service revenue under pressure.

Managing Director Greg Wilson said, "Primus is the first major telecommunications company in Australia to release a phone service using the internet to the residential market," Primus managing director Greg Wilson said, adding, "With Primus broadband plans starting at $9.90 a month, it is economical to consider a broadband connection solely for TalkBroadband."

Pricing for the basic TalkBroadband service would start from $9.95 per month while higher usage plans costing around $30 per month would be targeted at businesses.

With offers like this other Telco's had better get their act together rather swiftly.