Truphone to target cheap domestic calls

Truphone, the British telecoms group which focuses on business customers, will target the general consumer market by the end of this year.

At the moment, most of Truphone's customers come from business accounts looking to take advantage of a system that means that staff travelling between the UK, Australia, US, Netherlands and Hong Kong pay only local rate calls. Truphone, which is almost one quarter owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, is looking to expand into Germany, Spain and Poland this year and then is likely to try to win over the public.

The group, run by the former BT Openreach boss Steve Robertson, is valued at £300m following the recent funding round that brought in Chelsea owner Mr Abramovich as a cornerstone investor.