Consumers are missing out on broadband technology which could offer "huge" cuts to the cost of their telephone calls because telcoms operators and Internet Service Providers are reluctant to promote it.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) could save users over 50 per cent on calls to mobiles and up to 25 per cent on UK daytime calls, by routing calls over the internet.
But research by Brunel University shows that the UK is lagging far behind other countries in implementing the technology.
Dr Jyoti Choudrie, operations director at the Brunel Broadband Research Centre, told vnunet.com that, apart from a few exceptions and peer-to-peer software such as Skype which offers free VoIP, there is currently little choice for consumers.
"We see that VoIP in Japan is the 'killer broadband application', but in the UK ISPs have difficulty explaining the technology. Plus there isn't the choice of devices available, and what there is often too expensive," she said.
"The UK broadband community needs to sit up and take note of the example Japan is setting, which will enable ISPs to offer huge reductions in telephony costs for its broadband subscribers and boost demand."
Currently in the UK only two large telecoms companies have taken the plunge to offer VoIP to consumers.
BT's Broadband Voice package, detailed by the telco last December, uses an adaptor to connect a home phone line and broadband line so that users can make VoIP calls via the internet.
Free set-up for this service is offered until the end of March, after which it will cost £60.
Tiscali has also said it will offer VoIP to its UK customers later this year, once upgrades to its network are complete.