Level 3 Expands Availability Of VoIP Services

The Broomfield, Colo.-based carrier announced Monday that it will expand the availability of its enterprise-class VoIP Local Inbound service by the end of June to more than 300 markets, up from a footprint of 73 U.S. markets.

The service will complement Level 3's worldwide Voice Termination service, as well as VoIP Toll Free, a toll-free nationwide calling solution. According to Kevin Dundon, senior vice president of wholesale voice services, it also marks the latest in a series of significant investments and improvements in the carrier's overall commitment to VoIP.

"Level 3 has the most experience and expertise in the industry in originating, transporting, and terminating IP-based telephone calls," he said, noting that since January, VoIP Local Inbound traffic has increased at an average monthly rate of 30 percent. "The expansion significantly enhances our customers' ability to cost-effectively develop and deliver new and existing services for their end-user customers."

Dundon added that the expansion of VoIP Local Inbound service enables more than 80 percent of the U.S. population to have local dialing access to Level 3's customer base.

While details of the expanded service were still being ironed out, it was clear that under the larger footprint, Level 3 would receive calls that typically originate on the traditional telephone network and convert them to Internet Protocol for delivery to the customer's IP address.

Pricing for the service was not immediately available.