AT&T (NYSE: T), which recently said it would no longer recruit residential long-distance customers, has introduced an unlimited local version of its residential broadband phone service called AT&T CallVantage Local Plan. Among the retailers working with AT&T are Miami-based TigerDirect.com.

The Bedminster, N.J.-based telecom giant said for $19.99 a month, customers receive unlimited local calling and access to the entire AT&T CallVantage Service advanced feature set, which includes voice mail, plus local toll and long-distance calling in the United States and to Canada for 4 cents a minute.

AT&T did not give a specific rate for international calls, but said it will bill them at rates on average 50 percent less than the company’s leading offers.

The new calling plan is to become available Oct. 17.

«The AT&T CallVantage Local Plan was designed to serve the needs of those customers who make relatively few long-distance calls, but who are looking for an economical, feature-rich, local service alternative,» said Cathy Martine, AT&T senior vice president for Internet telephony.

Once customers sign up for the plan, though, they need to use a telephone adapter available from AT&T or certain retailers, plus a broadband connection so they can talk over high-speed Internet connections.

Also, customers will need to connect or hire someone to connect the service to multiple home phones. AT&T gives its customers a «Home Wiring Do-It-Yourself Guide» with each self-install kit.

To buy the VoIP starter kit from TigerDirect, the online retailing unit of Systemax (NYSE: SYX), customers may search the retailer’s Web site for «VoIP» or «AT&T CallVantage Service.»

«We’re delighted to offer our customers AT&T’s broadband phone service,» said Gilbert Fiorentino, TigerDirect chief executive officer."

Martine said TigerDirect considers helping customers understand how technology can help them its first priority.

«Like TigerDirect.com, our goal is to make the ease and convenience of AT&T CallVantage Service widely available to as many consumers as possible,» she said.

Sometime next week, TigerDirect and AT&T predicted the TigerDirect retail outlet stores will have the CallVantage starter kits. The stores are at the Mall of the Americas at 7795 W. Flagler St., and 14951 S. Dixie Highway, both in Miami.