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Using MetaSwitch technology, the incumbent UK telephone
service provider, BT, has become one of the first major European operators
to offer emulated PSTN services using Voice over IP technology. BT's
broadband voice service, which is targeted at customers of the UK's
cable operators as well as BT's own DSL subscribers, offers low-cost
national and international calling over any broadband Internet connection.
In addition, BT's Business Broadband Voice service brings the same Voice
over IP technology to small businesses.
The service is based on the MetaSwitch VP3500 Class 5 softswitch, integrated with other components and an Operational Support System supplied by MetaSwitch's strategic partner, Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe. Together with MetaSwitch's Web self-care system, customers are able to register, manage profiles, credit their account and control their telephone features all from the bt.com website. The MetaSwitch broadband voice switch allows end-users to connect via a Broadband Telephone Adaptor and use an extensive range of UK PSTN services over a broadband connection.
See the online demo for more details on how the service works.
"Broadband Voice takes the battle for customers right to the door of our rivals," said Pierre Danon, chief executive of BT Retail. "This offer combines innovation and value-for-money and not only will it offer cable customers an alternative voice line from BT for the first time, but it will also provide them with potential savings of up to £109 a year on
their phone calls."
Craig Rowland, Managing Director, Business at BT Retail, said: "Broadband Voice is an important step in getting smaller companies on to a level playing field with their larger competitors, allowing them to take advantage of the same cost savings from VoIP. It also offers more mobility for employees, as they can use the technology either remotely or in the office."
According to an
article on Light Reading, BT spokesman Mike Jarvis said: "This is an aggressive move
from BT, and we're not preempting other services coming onto the
market. We're coming under pressure from carrier preselection, and
we're fighting
to protect our market. This will be all incremental revenue for us,
as it's targeted at customers we don't currently have a relationship
with."
What people are saying about the BT Broadband Voice service:
- "BT [is] the first incumbent phone company in Europe
or the United States to launch a significant broadband voice service" -
International Herald Tribune
- "BT is being commended for its cleverness in launching
the service" - Light Reading
- "The first UK mass-market service to encourage
users to send voice calls over the Internet is an aggressive move by BT
against its cable rivals" - Graeme Wearden, ZDNet UK
- "BT's startlingly proactive jump into mass-market
voice over IP is cleverer than it looks. It presents an opportunity to
take telephony share from the cable operators, while testing the water
for future VoIP deployments, all with a very low risk of cannibalisation" -
Jan Dawson, Ovum analyst
- "It's easy to set up, has good call clarity and everything you need comes in one package" - Personal Computer World
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