article

Report may clear cheap net phones for homes
Katrina Nicholas
2004/10/04



Telecommunications companies selling phones and software that allow consumers to make phone calls on the internet at much lower rates than Telstra are hoping a draft report being released next week by the Australian Communications Authority will provide some clarity over telephone numbering and whether they can legally market the VoIP (voice over internet protocol) service as a first line into homes.

Because emergency calls via 000 from an internet telephone cannot be traced, VoIP providers must ensure customers have another phone line or advise them not to dial 000 from their VoIP phone.

"We tell our customers this is not a primary line and it's in the terms and conditions [of sale] that the quality of service may vary," said Paul Liew, a director of Melbourne-based VoIP provider ATP.

"I believe VoIP phones will be always treated as a second line because of the nature of the internet, although we do have small businesses who use it as their primary means of doing business."

Mr Liew added that ATP, which plans to respond to the ACA's draft, believed the authority should also formulate a special set of numbers for VoIP telephones.


Ilka Tales, chief executive of Mobile Innovations, a company whose Engin software and hardware facilitates VoIP calls, said he hoped the ACA would recommend a geographic-based numbering plan. "That's our preference because it'll assist in a quicker take-up," he said.

People Telecom chief Ryan O'Hare said that although the listed company could not guarantee its VoIP phones' quality of service, it would begin marketing the product as heavily as its broadband internet offering very shortly.

People Telecom imports VoIP handsets from Japan and subsidises them so they are free for consumers.




© This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.

This story was found at: http://www.afr.com/premium/articles/2004/10/03/1096741901220.html