Local telco 2Talk has bucked the trend and become the first telecommunications company in New Zealand to accept Bitcoin as a method of payment.

Customers of 2Talk can now settle their accounts via Bitcoin, and pay for services such as VOIP and other telephony services.

Bitcoin has been grabbing the headlines recently as more companies from differing sectors are beginning to accept the currency. The phenomenon is sweeping the globe and allows users to store and transfer money between their encrypted wallets.

"Our customers are early-adopters by nature," says General Manager Jude Flood speaking to Yahoo NZ. "They were among the first to cut the cord and throw away the old traditional phone service, embracing voice-over-internet technology. So we see payment by Bitcoin as a natural service for our customers."

Bitcoin has been praised for providing an alternative to entering credit card details online when making purchases.

"It simplifies payment to a 5-second procedure. And for customers paying by Bitcoin, the currency is converted to NZ currency at the time of payment, so any currency variation risk is absorbed by 2Talk," she says.

2Talk is reported to operate more than 50,000 lines throughout the country with its award winning VOIP platform.

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