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Freshtel To Go Mobile - Eventually |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Thursday, 07 September 2006 |
After the rash of mobile VOIP solutions coming out of the UK this week,
it's hardly surprising that Tesco whitelable provider Freshtel should come out
with some sort of announcement - even if it was just a promise of things to
come.
Australian-based Freshtel announced to the stock exchange
that it has successfully completed internal trials which allowed users to make
and receive calls to and from their Freshtel Voicedot Network using 3G
handsets.
The system Freshtel is working on carries voice either over
the 3G network, or if the handset is Wi-Fi capable a hotspot of access point
will do the job also.
However, there's no mention of when Freshtel might be ready
to roll-out such a system.
According to the announcement, the handset can still be used
to make standard GSM calls to mobile and landlines. It also - somewhat erroneously
- suggest that the calls will be free to other Voicedot network users.
Of
course, this misnomer has been round and around , but discounting any data
charges your carrier might charge you for carrying the call, Freshtel won't
charge you to connect on-network calls to its other subscribers.
Freshtel CEO, Michael Carew really talks up the promised
service in an announcement clearly meant to defend the company's marketshare while
it lags behind other mobile VoIP solution providers such as Rok , Mobiboo and
aql which all announced this week in the UK.
Carew said: "Freshtel is in a position to encroach not only
on fixed line telephony but also move into the mobile arena. The converged
mobile market is potentially highly lucrative and would allow Freshtel to offer
total communications packages for home and business customers."
Perhaps Freshtel plans to become an MVNO (Mobile Virtual
Network Operator), perhaps not. But either way, he is correct in saying the advancement
in its technology will "eventually" allow the company to offer a bundle of mobile
VOIP, Wi-Fi and internet telephony solutions to its clients.
The statement says the Freshtel software on the 3G handset
has sophisticated functionality with features such as real-time account
balance, contact lists, multiple numbers for contacts, messaging functionality and
diversion features via a web interface.
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