Optus offers VoIP to SME DSL customers

Stephen Withers
Monday, 04 June 2007 07:37

Your IT - Home IT

Optus has announced a pair of VoIP services for small and medium businesses, but only as add-ons to its Business DSL services.

The entry level plan is ipPhone Express, offering 12c untimed local and national calls (22c for 13/1300 numbers). Calls to mobiles are 29c/min, capped at $1 for up to 10 minutes, and those to other ipPhone services are free.

A softphone is available for download ("not compatible with some operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Vista and Macintosh OS operating systems"), or an IP handset or ATA (analogue telephone adaptor) can be purchased and used.

A web-based 'personal agent' provides dialling from a personal directory along with call routing based on time of day and caller ID.

An optional $2.95 'multimedia bolt on' provides videoconferencing, presence information, file transfer and web push between users of the service. Voice mail costs $3. These prices are per line, per month.

ipPhone Express is only offered to business customers using Optus Business DSL and Optus Local (direct or resale in both cases). Unlike many VoIP services, existing phone numbers can be ported to ipPhone Express.

Optus ipPhone Premier can be used as a fixed-line replacement. Between two and six lines are offered on a single DSL connection, though that may be restricted for premises more distant from the exchange.

Although the monthly charge ($19.95) is higher than that for the Express service, calls do not count towards DSL data usage so call quality is not affected if the account is speed limited after exceeding the monthly quota. Call charges and other features are the same on both plans, except that contract customers receive $60 credit per line on 24 month plans and $30 on 12 month plans.

Premier customers are not required to use Optus Local, but they must buy a $199 'integrated access device' (ADSL 2+ modem with router and two phone ports) from Optus and pay for installation. The minimum cost is $1335.20 over 12 months, including Business DSL Starter charges but excluding call costs.

"Until now SMB customers have had to accept a consumer style voice product when implementing VoIP in their business. Optus can now offer a fully functioning VoIP solution that doesn't compromise the call quality SMB customers get with their traditional fixed service," said Paul Kitchin, managing director, Optus SMB.said