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AOL Enters the VoIP market

Posted by Zonk on from the gutsy-business-moves dept.

freitasm writes "AOL is entering the VoIP market with its new service entitled 'AOL Internet Phone Service'. The service will be available in 40 cities around the US and offer integrated IM presence indicator, voice/e-mail and features like Call Waiting, CallerID. As a bonus current AOL members wil receive a wireless AP when signing-up for the service."

7 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. meanwhile, in Canada by WormholeFiend · · Score: 4, Informative

    The CRTC Issues 911 Ruling for VoIP Providers

  2. Re:Emergency services by thing12 · · Score: 4, Informative

    At least Vonage will direct your calls to a local 911 dispatcher (based on the location you provide). Most VOIP providers don't even go that far. They're testing e911 service in Rhode Island... apparently it's working quite well.

  3. Re:Emergency services by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can have your cake and eat it to. Keep your landline only for 911, they are required to provide it whether you have telephone service or not.

  4. Re:It's as easy as point-and-click by mekkab · · Score: 3, Informative

    And why isn't this thing being released in September?

    Golf clap for the Eternal September reference.

    --
    In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
  5. Re:It's as easy as point-and-click by bcrowell · · Score: 3, Informative

    More like "You've got telemarketers". I believe VOIP is not covered by the do not call list.
    Can you back up this statement? I have Vonage, and I'm on the do not call list, and it works -- haven't gotten a sales call in months.

    --
    Find free books.
  6. VOIP != computer phone by mamladm · · Score: 3, Informative

    You are mistaken.

    VOIP doesn't mean that your computer becomes a phone. All it means is that voice is encapsulated into IP packets. Period.

    In fact, a software that allows you to use your computer as a phone, a so called softphone is a very bad compromise.

    You will always get far superior quality if you use a real VOIP phone, that is, a device that looks just like an old fashioned telephone, but instead of a phone jack (RJ-11) it has got an ethernet jack (RJ-45) at its back and circuitry to convert between analog voice and IP packet encapsulated digitised voice.

    http://www.voip-info.org/wiki-VOIP+Phones

    --
    the macintosh asterisk mailing list http://www.astm
  7. Re:Emergency services by Desert+Raven · · Score: 3, Informative

    Who said there was no dial tone?

    Most states require phone companies to maintain dial tone for 911 on any line connected to them.

    So, there is a dial tone, you just can't dial anything except 911. Dialing any other number will get you a nice recording telling you the line is not in service.