Telecommunication services converge more and more to a single service for voice and data. Several startups round the world started to provide bundled services, often with flat rates for internet and calls. Vonage is one of the most ambitious and rapidly expanding ventures in US. Vonage has about 71,000 subscribers and just raised $35 million.

Germany has seen a strong liberalization of telecom services in the last 5 years. Several providers bought telecommunication networks and provide local services like Hansenet in Hamburg. Now I discovered media broadnet a local provider of voice and data selling services nationwide. Prices are competitive, but again most packages only include unlimited calls between media broadnet customers, not nationwide. I'm in doubt about regulation here, but a phone with a local number that works worldwide, if plugged in and a decent internet connection for � 49.99 would be quite an offer. But there is no such offer, yet. Why is that?