VoIP wholesaler iVox to offer access via iBurst

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 23 March 2006 15:57

Business IT - Technology

Wholesale VoIP service provider, iVox, has signed an agreement to combine Personal Broadband Australia's iBurst mobile broadband Internet services with its VoIP offering to create service packages for ISPs and other iVox resellers.

iVox says the partnership will enable it to develop an alternative 'last mile' access solution independent of Telstra's copper pair customer access network.

Romain Bonjean, CEO of iVox, said: "Currently, residential customers are forced to pay line rental charges - around $25/month - for lines that they don't need with VoIP, to prevent their incumbent carrier disconnecting their telephone number or ADSL service. By forcing customers to pay this redundant rental, VoIP's compelling price advantage is reduced, which, in turn, slows consumer demand for VoIP services."

Bonjean claimed that, "By packaging iVox's VoIP with iBurst's wireless broadband Internet, we will be able to circumvent this redundant rental, resulting in an annual saving of hundreds of dollars. Consumers can pocket this saving or in the near future, even use it towards higher grade Internet connections that support bandwidth-hungry applications - like movies on demand or TV over IP - that are the true benefits of converged communications."

iVox, however has given no indication of retail prices for this service