The US's largest immigrant group, Mexicans, can now order telephone numbers from their country of birth and have calls dialed to those numbers ring on their home and office phones.

New Jersey-based telephone provider Vonage is now allowing its customers to select Mexico City-based virtual numbers – numbers that ring on a Vonage primary line – for $4.99 per month.

Vonage joins Lingo – which began offering virtual numbers from 12 foreign countries – as the only mass-market providers of Voice over IP service offering customers non-US phone numbers.

Vonage's announcement, however, is important because there are an estimated 10 million Mexicans living in the US – by far the country's largest immigrant group. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, a non-profit research group focusing on the economic and social impact of immigration on the United States, more than 62 percent of all immigrants entering the US each year are from Mexico.

“For several months, Vonage's customers have been requesting the ability to have Mexican telephone numbers to communicate with family members, friends and business associates,” said Jeffrey A. Citron, chairman & CEO of Vonage. “Once again, Vonage responded to its subscriber's inquiries as it's the company's goal to offer consumers the most choice in calling plans.”