Torc Telecom, which was set up by a founding director of Esat Telecom, Mr Mark Roden, has launched a series of prepaid telephone-card vending machines in Ireland, Britain, France and Germany.

Consumers will be offered savings of up to 60 per cent on international call charges when they purchase the £5, £10 or £20cards, the company states. Cards can be used on any touch-tone telephone, including mobiles, in over 60 countries.