Surprises

Surprises

by Carlo Longino


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BT Plans To Compete With VoIP... By Actually Competing

from the doubletake dept

There's little doubt that VoIP poses quite a threat to telephone operators, and many of them have responded in predictable ways: trying to get regulators to block VoIP, trying to get network neutrality rules thrown out, saying VoIP providers should have to pay to send data across their lines, "price blocking" end users, or simply just blocking the traffic themselves. So when UK operator BT announced its strategy for competing with VoIP providers, it was surprising to see that it will do so by cutting its prices and improving its offerings, rather than some reactive and defensive approach. The head of BT's retail unit says although the move will cannibalize some of the company's existing fixed-line voice business, it will also help it to sell more broadband connections. Wait -- the head of a major telco saying that VoIP and other applications can make broadband more desirable and valuable to consumers? And that it will battle Skype and other providers by offering a better service? Radical thinking indeed.

4 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 

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  1. Well...

    by Just one guy - Dec 9th, 2005 @ 9:55am

    regardless of whether he will actually succeed, let us all congratulate with him for sportmanship, intelligence and fairness. Pretty rare qualities, I understand, among the chief officers of telecommunication companies...

    Well done!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  2. No Subject Given

    by Anonymous Coward - Dec 9th, 2005 @ 10:29am

    VoIP and Skype sucks. It is a toy not a system.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  3. No Subject Given

    by Anonymous Hero - Dec 9th, 2005 @ 11:18am

    Saying it and doing it are two different things. We have yet to see BT actually doing it.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  4. Re: No Subject Given

    by alternatives - Dec 9th, 2005 @ 11:42am

    VoIP and Skype sucks.

    Really? Got actual data?

    (Using Asterisk and VoIP every day)

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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