TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Vonage Has Fresh Backing; Says it Has Raised $250 Million

Vonage Has Fresh Backing; Says it Has Raised $250 Million

BBC News Wire (bbc@telecom-digest.org)
Wed, 21 Dec 2005 22:40:52 -0600

Fresh backing for web phone firm

Broadband phone company Vonage has said it has raised $250m (&pount;142m) to
help finance the expansion of its network.

The US firm, which enables people to make calls over the web using their
home phones, said it acquired the funds from a group of private investors.

Vonage is one of a number of companies focusing on internet telephony,
known as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

The financing could be the private firm's last before it goes public,
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Growth prospects

Vonage managers are understood to be exploring the possibility of
floating the company on the stock market.

However, a deal which could see the firm sold to a separate buyer
could also materialise, the newspaper said.

Vonage has more than a million customers in the US and recently
launched operations in the UK.

Investors are increasingly excited at the prospects for growth among
VoIP companies, which offer users phone calls at substantially lower
prices than traditional fixed-line firms.

In September, online auction giant eBay agreed to buy internet
telephone firm Skype Technologies for $2.6bn.

The latest round of investment in Vonage brings the total amount
raised by the company to $658m.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/4542340.stm

Published: 2005/12/19 14:01:21 GMT

Copyright 2005 BBC

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