2007-11-07 - iBurst to take on Telkom with iCall
From mid-November, wireless broadband provider iBurst will be adding voice services to their offerings. As part of their plans to diversify their business, iBurst will be launching a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) product, iCall, which will allow subscribers to make voice calls using their Internet connection.
According to a report on ITWeb, iBurst are offering a free Webfone to all new subscribers, and selling the handset to current subscribers for R200. Users will be allocated personal numbers. The device can be plugged into a computer and then configured to make and receive calls using the Internet connection. iBurst says that there will be no extra charge for data used for voice calls, as no distinction is made between data used for surfing the web, and data used for calls. iBurst claims that because data allocations can be used for calls, subscribers will save on call prices. The iBurst website is promoting the iCall rates as the lowest call rates around, and a look at the list of rates shows that calls to certain countries are up to 80% cheaper than Telkom’s rates, while local calls are around 15-17% cheaper. It has been speculated that these reduced rates may pressurize Telkom to drop their call rates in the future.
To access the iCall service, subscribers will need to pay a monthly subscription fee of R50, and purchase recharge vouchers of R100 or R200 to make calls. iBurst have signed interconnection agreements with various communications providers, which means that iCall users will be able to make national and international calls to fixed-line and cellular numbers, with the exception of 086 numbers. Additionally, users will be able to make unlimited free calls to other iCall subscribers.
A Webfone is not required to use the iCall service. Subscribers can use a standard analogue telephone handset that has been set up with a VoIP gateway, a softphone (a computer program that works as a dialling pad for computers or laptops), or an iBurst wireless VoIP router, which provides a wireless network connection as well as two standard telephone points.
The call quality is dependant on the speed and quality of the user’s Internet connection. Critics say that the slow, inconsistent connections South African Internet users often experience may be detrimental to the success of services like iCall. Although it is not bandwidth-intensive, experts say that lower-end data packages, offering 40-200 MB, may not be sufficient for the product.
Managing Director of Internet research company World Wide Worx, Arthur Goldstuck, does not expect iCall to make a significant impact on the voice market. Similar services are already offered by MWeb and Vox Telecom, and these have not yet done so.
Carey Finn ioL Technology
< view the archives
Newsletter Sign-up
Signup here for your free news on new products and voip
2011-07-04 - Far South Networks / Yealink interoperability
2011-03-04 - Far South Networks Com.X1 with SSD
2011-03-01 - Epygi Quadro IP PBX – Fax to email setup