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Supermarket VOIP
chuckT writes "Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket chain, has announced plans to sell a VOIP handset and connection through their stores. Given that one out of every eight pounds, spent on shopping in the UK goes to Tesco, and the UK has one of the highest broadband takeup rates around, is this the end for the classic telecoms providers like BT?"
The BT service offers free calls to UK landlines at evenings and weekends, at a cost of £4.99 a month
This is totally kick-ass! Where else can you pay £4.99 to make free calls?
NOWHERE! That's where!
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
I'm a big fan of VoIP (I've moved many friends and family to various companies). I can't wait until there are more programs available to let me use my PDA-bluetooth-tether-cell combo (150kbps download nearly everywhere) to talk without the cell network. I believe T-Mobile will actually help transition their users to VoIP as they build a faster network (and make their money that way).
The big problem I have with VoIP is it still seems to rely on people wanting to contact POTS numbers. When will we see a replacement for the old phone number?
The e-mail address isn't a bad idea, but I honestly don't want to share that with some people. A new number isn't memorable. Names are too generic and duplicated (there are 3 Adam Dada's that I've found in the past 3 years).
What is the solution for the "Follow Me" signature that we can use as our VoIP contact? Is the future settings up 3 or 4 addresses so we can give friends, family and tele-marketters different numbers?
They lock down the hardware so that the market has lots of used VoIP hardware that is 100% useless. I can find gobs of Vonnage SIP phones on ebay for dirt but are locked to Vonnage.
I just wish these companies would be required to be friendlier and unlock the hardware after the "contract" is up.
Cellphone companies do thew same crap. I had to threaten to sue AT&T wireless because they locked my personal phone to their service. I purchased an unlocked phone myself used their service and their scumbag service rep locked my phone. these companies really need to learn what customer service is and that the customer's property needs to be released to them at the end of thwe contract.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
UK consumers will get the "pay 4.99 and have free calls" because at the moment they pay BT a standing line charge and then pay for each call (time based charging) on top....
This is exactly the kind of thing that makes people angry, move to other continents and start a Revolution against the reigning Empire.
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
None of the problems seen as particular to VOIP (in the sense of Vonage at home etc) actually are and, besides, in the corporate environment, it has been a done deal for years. I haven't seen a large office that wasn't using IP phones in some years.
POTS doesn't run on magic fairy dust, it requires electricity, but it is assumed to be well backed-up, although it still suffers problems of cut lines etc. In "real" emergencies like earthquakes and storms, POTS goes out ALL THE TIME. How about the growing tide of wireless-only people? 911 problems are the same, towers go out, etc. With VOIP, you're running over POTS or cable. If YOU have a backup power system, much as is required on the provider end, there's little if any systemic difference in reliability--and really, most people no longer use telephones that run only on the power of the phone line itself, so while your telephone line may be just dandy, it doesn't do much good when the phone itself is dead.
Dude! Us Americans could be effing RICH! We have more fat and weight-gaining products than the rest of the world combined - surely we'll make more than enough to pay off our natl. debt.
P.S. Americans think the world revolves around us because it does! The fat of America actually creates its own gravitational field stronger than the Earth's, which means it rotates around us. This is also why we have so many anorexic people here, they weren't heavy enough to remain where they were because our gravity is stronger. Watch out, McDonald's stock is up...
The 'Net is a waste of time, and that's exactly what's right about it. - William Gibson
It's one eighth of all retail spending.
If you really want to get het up about them consider this: online, they take one pound in every four.