VoIP News: June 2007

Telecoms provider BT has completed its pioneering trial of VoIP which in 2005 carried the first calls over an all-IP infrastructure. This marked the start of the company's upgrade of telephony systems in the UK to its 21st Century Network (21CN) plan by connecting exchanges in central London, Woolwich and Cambridge just through internet protocols. "This trial has been hugely successful in informing our plans for the nationwide deployment of 21CN," said Matt Beal, chief technical officer of BT Wholesale.

Top-level chemical company Lyondell Chemical took the decision to switch to VoIP ahead of many other large businesses. But chief IT architect Sanjay Chadha wanted to make sure the system was first class, while financial constraints meant it had to be done on a cost-neutral or even profitable budget. "The company was losing money at the time and there was neither a need nor a demand for these services," Mr Chadha told TechTarget.

Network operators and handset manufacturers have been offered guidance on restricting VoIP features on mobile phones by the Open Mobile Terminal Alliance (OMTA) industry group. This follows controversy over the perceived banning of VoIP services by Orange, Vodafone and T-Mobile earlier this year and the document attempts to lay out the rules over whether such practices are justifiable. Although they do not cover some downloadable VoIP applications like Frong or Vyke, the new OMTP specifications say that mobile operators are entitled to take action against preinstalled VoIP services.

Telecoms network T-Mobile has launched a new service which combines Wi-Fi with its own mobile network in a move that will further sideline traditional landlines. Two specially-adapted handsets are already available in the US - the Samsung t409 and the Nokia 6089 - and will be able to use the normal T-Mobile network to carry calls, but can switch to public Wi-Fi hotspots or the owner's home network if it is in range.

VoIP provider Raketu has announced that its telephony service has now been updated to add mobile functionality. Consumers with mobile phones which run Symbian or Linux-based operating systems, such as the Nokia E70 or 770, can now access the company's free no-download RakWeb programme. This means they are now able to set up a VoIP call at reduced prices just by using their phone - removing the PC from the process completely.