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American Telecom Services, a leading provider of “Pay ‘N Talk” phones which come bundled with IP services, has reportedly signed an agreement with Broadband National, an online marketing company that helps distribute digital services in the U.S., which will enable the two companies to offer a “one-box solution” of high-speed Internet services from the leading brands bundled with VoIP.

This is reportedly the first time two companies have partnered to deliver a full range of consumer phones bundled with VoIP and broadband access.

“American Telecom Services wants consumers to be able to take advantage of the benefits and savings of Internet calling,” said American Telecom Services CEO Bruce Hahn in a press release. “Our arrangement with Broadband National contributes to this by offering every eligible retail customer who currently has no service or only dial-up access the option of purchasing high speed services from the broadband provider of their choice.”

As Hahn explained, consumers who buy the new phones will be able to choose their Internet service provider and will be able to make low cost VoIP calls using that provider’s broadband network. This way, they can save hundreds of dollars a year on their home phone services – even if they “do not already have the required broadband service needed for Internet telephone service.”

“We believe that through this offering, many consumers will realize that the combination of broadband Internet and Internet phone service will save them hundreds of dollars each year compared to dial-up Internet and traditional phone service,” Hahn said. “In the end, they will not only have a faster Internet connection for data, but also far more calling features than they ever had before with their new Internet telephone service.”

Obviously, if a customer only has dial up they will need their service provider or cable company to install a DSL or cable line in order the facilitate the service. Broadband National’s Web site provides a place where potential customers can get information about broadband services in their area. The clearinghouse lets consumers to shop for cable and DSL services from nearly 40 service providers, including Comcast, Verizon, Qwest (News - Alert), Time Warner Cable, AT&T and many other national and regional providers.

Consumers can also sign up for a provider using Broadband National’s dedicated toll-free number. Whether they use the Web site or the phone, consumers will be able to compare plans, pricing and features for the services available in their area.

American Telecom is making the Broadband National service available with the purchase of a variety of Internet phones. In return, American Telecom Services will receive a fee from Broadband National for each service account that is activated and will share a portion of those revenues with their retail partners.

Broadband National is the maker of the industry leading IBIS 3.0 platform, which allows for efficient management of multi-site locations. Through its “bulk qualification process” the company is able to quickly and efficiently determine what services are available at all customer locations, maximizing coverage and reducing overall costs. IBIS 3.0 compares services from more than 50 local, regional and national service providers such as Comcast, AT&T, Sprint, Qwest, Time Warner (News - Alert), Verizon, Speakeasy, Covad, Charter, Nuvox and New Edge.

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Patrick Barnard is Associate Editor for TMCnet and a columnist covering the telecom industry. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page.