in brief Australian internet telephony vendor Freshtel has signed agreements to install internet phones in several local universities' student accommodation buildings.

The ASX-listed company today said it had signed an agreement with internet service provider Star-Tech Communications to install Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services and handsets at the student accommodation buildings of Macquarie University, Griffith University, RMIT and Victoria University, and the University of Melbourne.

Star-Tech is the universities' current broadband provider. Freshtel says it has already installed 20 Siemens wireless handsets and 50 IP desk phones at the University of Melbourne, and plans to equip the four others by the end of this year.

The announcement of the planned roll-out at the universities comes as Freshtel also reported a fall in customer receipts for the quarter. Total cash balances for Freshtel holdings were $8.2 million, and net cash outflows have risen from $1.7 million to $2.2 million, while customer receipts fell to $900,000.