Digital Technology for Digital Living.
August 29, 2005
iiNet Realeases iiNetPhone
29 August, 2005 – iiNet Limited (ASX: IIN) today unveiled its new Voice Over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, enabling customers to save money
by making and receiving calls via the Internet instead of over the traditional copper telephone network. iinetphone, is the first large-scale national offering of VoIP by an Australian telecommunications company, and is available to new and existing iiNet and OzEmail customers.iinetphone is available with no monthly rental fee and low cost call rates. Bundled
with iibroadband2 and iiphone — iiNet’s traditional phone service — the new VoIP
service provides customers with an additional phone number for premium-grade
Internet-based calls at substantially lower rates.iinetphone works by converting an analog voice signal from a regular telephone into a digital signal that travels over the Internet before being converted back to the analog format at the other end. Using additional equipment, such as an ATA (Analog Telephone Adaptor) plugged into a regular phone with a standard broadband router, a special VoIP-enabled router, or a VoIP handset, customers can make VoIP calls to anyone, anywhere at greatly reduced rates over traditional phone calls. VoIP calls from one iinetphone customer to another are free.
“We are proud to be the first Australian communications company to offer a premium grade,large-scale VoIP solution that’s easy to use, complements existing services and will result in significant call savings,” said Michael Malone, Managing Director, iiNet Ltd. “By using iinetphone, customers can economically contact friends and family all over the world – and that’s the best part about this innovative communication solution.”
Benefits of iinetphone include:
• Free second phone line and number using VoIP technology (not provided by
the “free” and other earlier VoIP providers)
• Low cost calls such as 10 cent untimed local calls, 10 cent untimed calls
Australia-wide to national capital cities and five cents per minute national calls
outside capital cites over fixed lines
• Free VoIP calls to other iinetphone VoIP users
• Premium-grade voice quality (unlike most “free” and earlier VoIP services)
• Free bonus phone features such as voicemail, caller ID and many others
• Online call cost calculator to determine call prices worldwideiiNet is using special VoIP hardware from its selected vendor Belkin, a technology
leader for computer and consumer electronics. Under an exclusive arrangement,
iiNet will provide leading Belkin VoIP-enabled modems and routers and ATAs to help customers easily set up their VoIP service.“We’re excited to be a part of iiNet’s innovative VoIP offering,” said Mike Bell,
Managing Director – ANZ for Belkin. “Leading VoIP hardware combined with iiNet’s premium quality voice service will enable customers to make calls in a revolutionary yet seamless manner, and reap the savings.”Customers can register for iinetphone from today, with standard connection
time for new customers averaging five to 10 working days. The Belkin VoIP hardware is available from iiNet from mid September 2005.
Gadgetman | | VOIP
August 29th, 2005 at 4:05 pm
It’s interesting to note that OzEmail was actually offering VoIP services all the way back in 1997. In fact they launched the first commercial VoIP service in the world - OzEmail Interline - which was developed in Australia.
Sadly like so many great technology innovations it got shut down. When OzEmail was bought by (then) MCI Worldcom they shut down this internet telephony start up because they thought it would impinge on their traditional long distance market. And they were right, it just took a little longer than Sean Howard originally thought. ;-)