Hybrid Fixed and Mobile Telephony

Iorek writes "Both Ericsson and BT have launched telephony products that erode the barriers between mobile phones and landlines. Ericsson's One Phone is a PBX system that can treat any mobile phone as an extension of the corporate phone network, while the BT Fusion handset behaves like a conventional fixed line cordless phone when it's near its base station (Bluetooth connection), and connects to the Vodafone network once it's out of range."

Comments

This is new?

[ivan256]

the BT Fusion handset behaves like a conventional fixed line cordless phone when it's near its base station [...], and connects to the [cellular] network once it's out of range

So? Panasonic made phones like that as early as 1998.

Re:This is new?

[Ethelred Unraed]

Ya. There's a hybrid product called Genion that's been available for years in Germany, since the late 90s.

Cheers,

Ethelred

interesting

[rwven]

I like the idea but it would been better to use 802.11 instead of bluetooth for a little more range around the house....

Re:interesting

[ImaLamer]

Hey, why not WiMax and put "cellular" companies out of business all together?

Will the cell network have preference?

[chargen]

Already, when I store a phone number for a different area code, I do not store it with the '1' in front so as not to make a long distance call. Conveniently when I select that number from my address book and dial it the phone company inserts a '1' in front of the number and dials it long distance as I'm out of my dialing area. This is exactly the kind of slimeball tactic phone companies are famous for.

I wonder if the phones will have a preference to revert to (assuredly more expensive) cell network if the base station signal drops below a set tolerance. I wonder if the phone companies will want suggest that that tolerance factoer will be...?

I need to get my tin foil hat resized...

-chargen

Re:Will the cell network have preference?

[entrigant]

Perhaps not in the North America Numbering Plan, but it still is with many providers. With a land line from Bellsouth in my home town if I dial 1 + area code before I dial a local number I will be charged for a long distance call even if I am only calling next door. In fact this was the entire point of the parent post. Dialing a 1 might not mean long distance in the standard, but that isn't stopping providers from handling it in that way.

Not world's first

[timecop]

Not world's first.
NTT had this out for a while, though it's not really selling very well:
http://www.docomo.biz/html/product/cordless/n900il .html
The real problem with these is their cost, and the fact that normal people can't purchase them (You have to buy these as a business "solution" wiht prices starting at $2000+).
When in the office, these use company internal wifi network and a supposedly "standard" SIP implementation for VOIP. When outside, they use DoCoMo's new and crappy "FOMA" 3G technology.
I've been trying to get my office to get me some demo units of them, but with prices like these, its unlikely.