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Qwest & Cablevision Launch VoIP Service

Posted by timothy on from the because-data-is-fungible dept.

securitas writes "Qwest announced that it will be the first RBOC to offer VoIP service to its customers, starting with Minnesota. Not to be outdone, Cablevision launched VoIP service for its '1 million high-speed Internet customers in the lucrative New York market.' Cablevision's Tom Rutledge said the company plans to take advantage of last Monday's FCC local-number portability ruling that lets customers keep their phone numbers when switching service providers. Qwest plans to challenge the local-number portability ruling. It looks like the disruptive technology hype that surrounded VoIP in the late-1990s is about to see its first real litmus test."

5 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. What a concept! by BallPeenHammer · · Score: 1, Funny
    If you can't beat it, sell it.

    --
    The Law of Falling Bodies
  2. Re:The apparent trend in the industry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    Our initial research showed that people were willing to tolerate commercials of certain amount of length in return for crystal-clear free (or very inexpensive) long-distance calls.

    oh boy, here it comes. Telemarketing's last revenge.

  3. Re:911 by dollar70 · · Score: 2, Funny
    I think 911-protection is keeping a lot of us from switching...

    Define "a lot". I personally wouldn't switch unless I could realize meaningful cost savings, and would not sacrifice reliability. Quite frankly, I don't consider any home computer to be reliable simply because it has to broad a range of tasks.

    If I didn't have 911, I could just as easily tape a list of important numbers to my phone, or program them into the phone's memory.

    • Fire - 555-BURN
    • Police - 555-OINK
    • Medical - 555-KWAK
    • Beer - 555-BURP
    See? Print it out and stick it onto your telephony. Your chances of getting the help you need are now just as good as anyone with 911 access.

    *For those outside the US, 911 is the magical number you call and theoretically you're supposed to get help. In reality, they just send over a man with a gun who's got more emotional baggage and a bigger chip on his shoulder than you do.

  4. Re:The apparent trend in the industry by AndroidCat · · Score: 1, Funny
    Our initial research showed that people were willing to tolerate commercials of certain amount of length in return for crystal-clear free (or very inexpensive) long-distance calls.

    I have bad news about the BBS world of FidoNet too.

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  5. Super .. by jason.mitchell · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now my cable modem will be even more slower :) Great.