Apple is allowing iPhone owners to use Internet calling services over cellular networks. Several companies offering VoIP services said this week that Apple now allows their applications to work on the iPhone.

VoIP calling has been available on the iPhone, but only over Wi-Fi connections, which don't have the range of 3G cellular networks.

Apple's earlier decision to block a Google calling application triggered an inquiry by the Federal Communications Commission, which is investigating competition in the wireless industry.

VoiceServe received a “Best of Show” award at TMC's ITEXPO East 2010, held in Miami last week, for “Best Service Provider Solution”. Close to 100 companies exhibited at the ITEXPO, an event where leading-edge IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications are exhibited to resellers, enterprises, small-to-medium businesses and Government agencies.

Acrobits adds the ability to make calls over 3G or Edge networks to Acrobits Softphone, the leading SIP Softphone for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Users will now be able to use the softphone to make or receive calls even when no Wi-Fi connection is available. Combined with Acrobits’ recent addition of universal support for Push Notifications, this is great news for the ever-expanding world of VoIP.

Now that Acrobits Softphone works over 3G, SIP users with an iPhone have a truly portable softphone. You can now make calls with your VoIP account anywhere you have a 3G or Edge connection. And since Acrobits’ Push Notification service allows you to receive calls when the softphone is closed, you can receive calls anywhere you have a 3G or Edge connection as well. “We believe adding 3G capability puts Acrobits Softphone at the forefront of the integral mobile VoIP market,” says Acrobits.

fring on iPhone is now available over 3G networks. This announcement immediately follows iPhone’s long awaited decision to allow third party VoIP applications running over 3G networks onto its iPhone App Store.

fring iPhone applications enabling Voice and Video over Internet, have been available over WiFi internet connection since launching on the iPhone App Store back in April 2008. This announcement means iPhone fring users can now make free voice and video calls over 3G or Wi-Fi internet access, and, depending on their access and preferences at any given time, easily switching between the two to stay connected any time, anywhere.

AT&T announces it now serves 1 million AT&T U-verse Voice digital home phone lines. The milestone comes two years after AT&T introduced the advanced VoIP service, which is now available to millions of homes across 22 states.

AT&T U-verse Voice is a next-generation digital voice service delivered over the AT&T U-verse IP network. More than 67 percent of new U-verse TV customers bundle U-verse Voice service.

AT&T added 248,000 U-verse TV subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2009, totaling 2.1 million U-verse TV subscribers nationwide and adding 1 million U-verse TV customers in the last year alone.

Apple has updated the iPhone developer SDK to allow VoIP over cellular networks. iCall is the first and only VoIP application that functions on the iPhone and iPod Touch over cellular 3G networks.

iCall is a market leader in desktop and mobile-based desktop calling platforms, including its highly popular version for the Apple iPhone. Until today, restrictions imposed on developers prohibited VoIP functionality on any 3G network.

voxclever highlights the significant differences between consumer and business-grade VoIP and the benefits it can bring to small businesses across the UK.

VoIP services can be divided into two clear categories, consumer VoIP i.e. Skype and VoIP for business i.e. Verizon. Whilst consumer VoIP services have helped to drive the overall uptake of VoIP over the past few years, these particular services are not always best suited for the business environment.

COLT is providing IP connectivity to support MeetingZone's audio conferencing facilities in the UK and Europe. As the UK's largest independent conference and collaboration service provider, MeetingZone will be adding COLT's SIP Trunking service, COLT VoIP Access, to its audio conferencing services in order to deliver high quality, scalable voice services whilst keeping network and bridging costs to a minimum.

Virtual PBX introduces international numbers in more than 45 countries and more than 1,500 cities abroad. Small, growing and established businesses have taken advantage of the cost-effectiveness of Virtual PBX’s hosted PBX services for more than a decade. Now, with international numbers, these companies can add local phone numbers in cities abroad, creating a stronger regional presence and allowing inbound calls to be connected at significantly lower rates.

8x8 announces the release of "8x8 Connect," a point and click VoIP calling application for the popular Facebook social networking site.

"8x8 Connect" lets Facebook users add a "Call Me" button to their home page which enables other users to call them without revealing their actual phone number. The application asks the person making the call to enter the phone number they wish to place the call from, calls that number and then automatically rings the Facebook user at a number they previously set as their preferred contact number. In this way, a Facebook user can easily be contacted while keeping their actual phone number a secret. Users can set a variety of phone numbers as their contact numbers and can easily switch between them.

Truphone adds to the list of innovative ways users of its iPhone and iPod touch applications can make and receive free international calls through its partnership with Voxbone, provider of free +883 iNum numbers.

Through the partnership, customers can now make and receive free mobile VoIP calls via other iNum service providers, including Gizmo5, Jajah, Rebtel, and others.

Under agreement with Voxbone, Truphone assigns individual iNum freephone numbers to its users with iPhone and iPod touch devices when they sign up.

Truphone announces a strategic MVNO partnership with Vodafone UK. The agreement will give Truphone access to Vodafone UK's network to deliver voice and data services to its Truphone Local Anywhere customers.

The partnership is the first in a series of building blocks for the launch of Truphone Local Anywhere, a global SIM-based mobile service, launching today. Similar wholesale partnerships are being put together in other key travel destinations around the world in time for launch and rollout throughout 2010.

XConnect announces a trial of the first IP peering federation specifically for service providers capable of offering high-definition voice services. The trial, open to qualified operators, waives sign-up and monthly fees for its April-June duration. Multiple providers using the G.722 wideband codec will be able to test the interoperability, scalable interconnection, reliability and support of XConnect federation services.

High-definition voice is being adopted increasingly by fixed, mobile and Web 2.0 telecom service providers, as it delivers a much richer audio experience than the PSTN makes possible. Using wideband codecs, HD achieves a wider frequency range, providing almost the clarity of face-to-face conversation.

Rebtel has acquired Free World Dialing, an award-winning consumer calling service from Talkster. Talkster's Free World Dialing customers will now have access to Rebtel's Free Calls solution, the only VoIP service offering unlimited free international mobile calls between 51 countries.

Launched in October 2007 at the CTIA Wireless Entertainment and I.T. exposition, Talkster's Free World Dialing service was immediately hailed as a breakthrough new service, winning "Best In Show." Since then Free World Dialing continued to win widespread recognition along with a number of industry awards, including Mobile Star's Best Consumer VoIP App and Communications Solutions Product of the Year. Rebtel has acquired the full rights to the Free World Dialing service and its customers for an undisclosed sum. Under the agreement, Rebtel now carries all of Talkster's international calls.

Digium releases Switchvox SMB 4.5 the full-featured and cost-effective VoIP Unified Communications solution designed for small- to mid-sized businesses. Switchvox SMB 4.5 delivers mission-critical applications traditionally accessed through the web interface directly to phone handsets, and adds greater flexibility and control for both users and administrators. Digium is demonstrating Switchvox SMB 4.5 at Digium|Asterisk World at ITEXPO in booth D01, held January 20-22, 2010, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.