Is the end in sight for mobile phone networks vying to get the edge over competitors with that extra few free minutes or handful of texts? If mobilephonesontheweb.com have anything to do with it, it soon could be.

This month Orange released their Unlimited tariffs for sale through independent retailers such as mobilephonesontheweb.com. Previously only available in Orange stores, and without the additional benefits of purchasing from an independent web retailer, the Unlimited tariffs look set to offer a market-beating proposition to customers who want to use their phone as much as they like and know exactly what the bill will be at the end of each month.

mobilephonesontheweb.com's customers will now be able to reap the benefits of free unlimited calls and texts on Orange deals in addition to already market-beating offers, including a wide range of 12 month contracts with free line rental for the full 12 months. What this means for customers is that they can now get unlimited mobile phone use without ever paying a penny for the privilege: no handset charge, no line rental and no call charges.

For those looking for cheap mobile phones, however, Orange's news may be just the beginning, as the other networks are falling over themselves to bring the "unlimited" concept to customers. Vodafone has launched Vodafone Family, which allows unlimited calls between four people in a designated group, for a single monthly fee; and 3 and T-Mobile are still battling it out for supremacy in the world of mobile data with their competing X-Series and Web n' Walk unlimited internet bundles.

The reason behind this new swathe of unlimited tariffs probably lies in the rapid growth of VOIP technology, and the potential for free wi-fi phone services to make a serious impact on the traditional mobile phone market in the next few years. Already a number of VOIP services have started marketing to home users and even business clients, albeit with services which tend to require a safety-net of normal cellular functionality.

The widespread dissemination of VOIP still has some way to go, but it seems that the current giants of mobile communications are making sure that, at this early stage, they are going to be able to compete.

All of this adds up to one thing: customers should be in for a bright future of unlimited mobile communications and ever-diminishing charges. An industry putting up its defences at the prospect of a rapidly expanding VOIP market? Probably. But from the consumer's point of view, there's never been a better time to buy a mobile phone.