FreshTel Holdings Limited [ASX: FRE] and telecommunications provider Star-Tech Communications have partnered in a plan to bring VoIP services to several Australian universities.

VoIP telephony services will soon be available for Star-Tech's 3,000-strong campus resident customer base that is spread across five universities where the company is the ISP. FreshTel's VoIP services will be rolled out to a further four campuses by the end of the year.

The service has already been implemented at the University of Melbourne's Graduate House, where 20 wireless Siemens handsets and 50 IP desk phones have been installed.

Installations at residences in Macquarie University, Griffith University, Victoria University and RMIT will follow shortly.

FreshTel's VoIP services are being marketed directly to university students living in the selected residences via Star-Tech's Internet startup page.

StarTech had originally contracted Engin to supply VoIP services for its university resident customers, but announced yesterday it had cancelled this contract.

A Star-Tech representative refused to disclose the reason for the cancellation to The Australian, citing confidentiality clauses in the contract.

But he did say FreshTel are very good at paying commissions and submitting detailed reports.