Business travellers with wi-fi enabled Nokia phones can now make VoIP (voice over internet protocol) calls using their handsets.

Truphone is launching a free download for Nokia’s N80 phone in the next few days, following the launch last month of a download for Nokia’s E series business handsets. Calls to other mobile handsets using the Truphone software are free of charge, as long as both handsets are within wi-fi hotspots.

As a launch offer, the company is offering those who sign up free calls to landlines in many most major countries around the world until the end of December. Thereafter, calls will be charged at typical VoIP rates – 9.6 p per minute to Indian landlines, 5.9p per minute to South African landlines and 15.9p per minute to French mobiles.

James Tagg, Truphone’s chief executive, says: “Support for Nokia’s N80 handset brings true mobile VoIP to the mass market and gives Truphone genuine consumer appeal. Truphone routes calls entirely via the internet ensuring the lowest possible call costs to consumers whether in their home country or travelling abroad, unlike ‘calling card’ services masquerading as mobile VoIP.”

The company says it will develop downloads for the rest of Nokia’s N series smartphones and also for those phones based on the Windows Mobile platform.

Truphone's announcements comes as a number of firms, including Belkin and Netgear, launch standalone handsets for using Skype in wireless hotspots.