Free calls on net as BT seeks new focus
By David Litterick, Weekly Telegraph
Plans to offer free phone calls over the internet have been announced by BT in a move it said would “revolutionise the way people communicate”.
Customers will be able to download free software which will let them make PC-to-PC phone calls over an internet line free.
They can also make calls from PCs to mobile phones or land lines, although they will charged the same as on existing packages.
The launch came a day after BT chairman Sir Christopher Bland pledged to end the company’s dependence on traditional telephone services.
At the annual meeting Sir Christopher said the cornerstone of BTs long terms strategy was to remove its reliance on fixed lines in the face of fierce competition and focus on new technologies such as broadband.
“We have to stake our claim to these new wave services and invest in the latest infrastructure to deliver them”, Sir Christopher said. “If we don’t, others will”.
The latest technology, Voice over Protocol, is being launched in connection with Yahoo!
While other companies already offer such services, BT claims it is the first time it 19 million customers will be able to manage all their home communications in one place.
The service, which also permits international calls from laptops for the same price as a domestic call, is likely to be extended to include video calls.
By David Litterick, Weekly Telegraph
Plans to offer free phone calls over the internet have been announced by BT in a move it said would “revolutionise the way people communicate”.
Customers will be able to download free software which will let them make PC-to-PC phone calls over an internet line free.
They can also make calls from PCs to mobile phones or land lines, although they will charged the same as on existing packages.
The launch came a day after BT chairman Sir Christopher Bland pledged to end the company’s dependence on traditional telephone services.
At the annual meeting Sir Christopher said the cornerstone of BTs long terms strategy was to remove its reliance on fixed lines in the face of fierce competition and focus on new technologies such as broadband.
“We have to stake our claim to these new wave services and invest in the latest infrastructure to deliver them”, Sir Christopher said. “If we don’t, others will”.
The latest technology, Voice over Protocol, is being launched in connection with Yahoo!
While other companies already offer such services, BT claims it is the first time it 19 million customers will be able to manage all their home communications in one place.
The service, which also permits international calls from laptops for the same price as a domestic call, is likely to be extended to include video calls.
