Internet and VOIP phones

EarthLink is expected to announce a beta test for Accton Technology Corp’s WiFi phone as early as tomorrow. Beta testing on the phone has been in the works on EarthLink’s municipal wireless network in Anaheim and it seems to be working very well. Like any WiFi phone, you’ll be able to make VoIP calls from your home network or on EarthLink’s Municipal WiFi network. As soon as you power on the phone you’ll be able to make quick and cheap phone calls over the internet without sacrificing voice quality.

Source and more info: crunchgear

The Taiwan-based Accton Technology Corporation, one of the world’s leading suppliers of network technology, has won orders for WiFi wireless phones from the U.S.-headquartered EarthLink Inc., which is expected to help jack up its sales revenue from the beginning of the second quarter of this year, according to company sources.

Winning EarthLink’s orders for session initiation protocol (SIP) WiFi wireless phones has proven that Accton is capable of producing high-end products meeting advanced communication technologies and tapping into the field of “Voice over IP (VoIP)” telephony, according to Lu Kun-jui, general manager of Accton.

The WiFi phone allows easy access to the Internet directly through EarthLink’s metro network or through household broadband network by wireless routers. Besides, the phone can work as a conventional telephone, mobile phone, or VoIP telephony, saving a considerable amount of communication expenses.

The wireless phone differs from other similar models in the market by its direct linking with EarthLink’s metro network, allowing the user an economical telephony service. EarthLink is scheduled to officially start testing the phone through the metro network system in California in March, according to EarthLink.

Source and more info: emsnow

April 2007 Telecom Products 45 The popularity of Skype among VoIP users worldwide is fueling makers’ adoption of the application for DECT VoIP phones. Makers in Hong Kong, which emphasize peer-topeer (P2P) application support, are centering their R&D and production plans on building Skype into their products.

This, however, does not preclude any growth in the USBbased phone segment. Many makers in mainland China and Hong Kong produce an ample supply of DECT VoIP phones with USB interface. In fact, makers see continuous growth in this sector, as many users worldwide still depend on the PC to place and receive VoIP calls.

Most models currently available support conventional and VoIP phone calls. Makers piggyback on DECT’s capability to enable wireless communication to add value to VoIP phones. Some companies also integrate Bluetooth, and others are considering adding Wi-Fi support.

Source and more info: telecom

Lingo (http://www.lingo.com), a leading U.S. broadband phone service provider, today announced an annual calling plan – Talk 365. Talk 365 allows Lingo customers to pay only $195 for an entire year of phone service, which averages to just over $16 per month.

“We are pleased to provide Lingo customers with an additional calling plan that will further reduce their home phone service and long distance calling costs,” said Srinath Narayan, Vice President of Lingo, Inc. “The creation of Talk 365 for Lingo broadband phone service responds to our customers’ desire for a low-cost, annual calling plan.”

Lingo customers on the new Talk 365 plan will be able to make calls to anywhere in the US, to Canada, and to Puerto Rico, plus enjoy over 20 calling features such as caller ID with name, voicemail to email, and call waiting at no extra cost. Customers can learn more about the service and sign up online at www.lingo.com, or by calling 1-866-546-4603.

About Lingo

Lingo is one of the most affordable U.S. broadband phone services, offering local and long distance calls (subject to restrictions described in the terms and conditions of service) anywhere in the U.S., to Canada and to many other countries through several calling plan options. Lingo users can save up to 50 percent over what traditional phone companies charge U.S. consumers for local and long distance calling services. To place and receive calls customers only need a broadband Internet connection, a regular phone, and a “Lingo Box,” which is provided free of charge when they subscribe.

With more domestic and international coverage than any of the other major VoIP phone providers in the U.S. today, Lingo consumer and small business subscribers can select U.S. phone numbers from over 300 major markets, and international phone numbers from cities in 14 foreign countries. Lingo’s VoIP service is sold directly through the web site at http://www.lingo.com.

Source and more info: businesswire

Hi-Mobile sent us in the very popular Nokia N80 smartphone. While the phone was released about 10 months ago, just last month there was a brand new and free firmware upgrade that upgrades it to version 4.x which adds VoIP functionality. The upgrade is available for all N80 models, even the ones that were not released under the “Internet Edition” brand. Read more for our test.

The N80 is a quad-band GSM/EDGE and European UMTS smartphone running the Symbian 9.0 OS with the S60 3.x front-end. It features an impressive 2.2″ TFT screen with the 352×416 resolution, it supports miniSDs and has 40 MBs of internal memory free. It features Bluetooth 1.2, an IrDA port, WiFi, FM Radio, PTT, a CIF video call front camera and a 3.2 MP camera with flash.

The device does not weigh much and it feels pretty good in the hand, although it could have been thinner. The slider mechanism is not very good, I kept pressing keys by mistake while trying to slide the phone up. One other thing is that the camera is more exposed than usual and so if you leave your phone in a rough place you can seriously scratch the lense. Having said that, the overall construction of the device is very good and pleasant. In the box there was a charger, a handsfree stereo headset, a 512 MBs miniSD and a USB cable.

Source and more info: osnews

Cable operators and Vonage Holdings Corp. continue to drive VoIP adoption among residents in the United States, according to a new report from research firm In-Stat.

More than 10.6 million households now have at least one active VoIP user, up from approximately 9 million households at the end of the third quarter of 2006, the firm found.

The emergence of the cable operators as a dominant market force seems to have slowed the growth of the client-based VoIP market, with only Skype showing gains in this segment during the fourth quarter, analysts noted.

Source and more info: newtelephony