BT's Converged Wi-Fi/Cell Phone

judgecorp writes "BT has been talking for more than a year about "Bluephone" - a cellphone that roams to a wireless network, when you are in the house. Just when we thought it was all hype and vapour, BT is revealing more details. Good news - it will move to Wi-Fi, when Wi-Fi handsets are cheap and good. The first version will still use Bluetooth, because Bluetooth works. Bad news - it's not a SIP phone, and therefore not really a converged phone. It doesn't roam calls onto the Internet, or even onto the landline, where they would be cheaper. Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is just an alternative for the first few feet of the call. Takes a few calls off the cell network, but doesn't do a lot for the user, apart from giving you just one phone to lose."

Comments

A key point

[codesurfer]

From TFA
At the most basic level, voice over Wi-Fi treats voice as just another kind of data. It runs voice over IP and uses SIP addresses to route calls across the Internet. This is anathema to the cell networks, who have no intention of allowing voice over IP. For them, data is a means to squeeze more revenue from reluctant customers, not a means to let customers get voice services for less money.

Sadly this has always been one of the major stumbling blocks, and I'm not sure there is a viable solution in sight.

Re:A key point

[gl4ss]

you can voice-over ip over cellular data connections... depending on what kind of connections your provider allows, of course.

under most billings it makes no sense, of course. but think of it long and hard - would it make any sense if it was _really_ cheaper to talk over the data connection instead of the 'voice' connection(that goes in packets anyhow) of the phone? the operator would always have the access to the way to offer the voice over their network the cheapest, most effective, way.

of course with the kind of 'plans' in most areas of word that are most of the time also part payments for the device there's all kinds of funky and crazy (marketing made) holes/idiocies in what costs what.

Re:A key point

[FrankHaynes]

I asked a buddy who works in the field for A Major U.S. Cell Carrier and when we were discussing their EV-DO data network, I speculated that it would be cool to say hasta la vista, baby! to all wireline providers, get a data+phone, and run my home Internet access AND VoIP all over that single "cell" phone.

He countered by stating that they sell a device that uses only their SIM card and has no viable way to get to it from the outside such as Bluetooth, thus preventing my evil plan from cutting into their voice revenue stream.

I guess they have beaten me to the punch on that one.

Notwithstanding their stance, I don't see how John Q. Homeuser out there meshing together a neighborhood's WiFi hotspots is going to be a worthwhile solution once the carriers have sufficient deployment of their wireless data networks. Who will need DSL or cable Internet service? Who will need landline service (if you can tolerate occasional service dropouts)? You will be able to get it all from your wireless carrier at market rates and take it pretty much anywhere, without having to worry if you're affiliating with some WiFi hotspot that might be problematic or whether you can even find a hotspot at all.

OK, I've written too much. I apologize. But, I just switched to Sanka today so, have a heart.

Re:Not going to make a difference...

[chris09876]

I just re-read that, and it said even in 2006, their WiFi model WON'T be able to do VoIP... what's the point? It sounds like they're going to miss out on all the potential that exists with the internet and VoIP

newsflash..

[gl4ss]

..with right drivers(I don't know about xp's own) you can use bluetooth handsfrees to talk on whatever VOIP you want.

so.. this is pretty weak.

more than that. there's a fundamental problem over here.. once you make those wifi networks the operators will just lower prices.. so it's kind of worth it and kind of not because you'll never make wifi as good/effective(that means 'cheap') for large amounts of voice users like cellular networks.

(my cellular bills aren't really killing me anyhow, not enough to even bother with skype most of the time)

Missing the point

[MrZeebo]

A lot of posts here seem to be missing the point.

The point is NOT to let you use VOIP with your cell phone. They aren't making this so that you can walk around your house talking on Skype or with some SIP service. I think that the actual reason behind this technology is quite smart.

I have a cell phone. The phone works great and has great reception when I'm out and about, at college, etc. But, I live in a suburban residential area. It is by no means "rural", but still there is not very good cell phone coverage in the area of my house. So, I can use my cell phone wonderfully out in the city area, but not very well around my home, which is the major reason I haven't switch yet to cell-phone-only. I am far from the only person I know who is in this situation. Great reception in general, but weak or no reception at home.

This technology would solve my problem. If I am out and there is cell phone coverage, the phone would use the cell towers. When I walk into my house and the tower reception goes away, the phone would switch right over to my bluetooth access. Sure, it wouldn't be cheap like Skype. But, chances are you'd pay some regular monthly fee (maybe higher than normal...) and this access point would be enabled.

So, the point isn't to make calls cheaper, it's to give you access in the one place that many people don't have it already.