Nokia is trialling its first voice-over-wireless LAN system and service in Finland which will allow mobile users to make use of lower cost voice calls over the Internet.

The system, called Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), is being tested by 50 households in the city of Oulu. They are using the Nokia 6136 handset which is among the first mobile phones to support the handover of voice and data calls between a WLAN and the local GSM network.   

According to Peter Ropke, senior v-p for mobile phone R&D at Nokia: “The pilot project is an important step forward in bringing functional UMA technology to the mass market."
 
The users will be able to roam and handover between local area networks and wide area networks using the same dual-mode handset.

The handset does not need to continuously communicate with a GSM basestation, but will also make calls through WLAN Internet networks. Which opens up the use of lower cost voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) services.  

The pilot project is a joint cooperation between Nokia, the DNA/Finnet group and the City of Oulu. The city also has a project which enables users to receive free WLAN Internet via hotspots around the city.