VoIP News: December 2010

Britons would rather go without sex, chocolate and television than give up their broadband connection, a new survey has revealed. As part of a poll on people's new year's resolutions, Sky Broadband asked over 5,000 people what they would be willing to forego in January. Just three per cent said of respondents they would be happy to cut off their broadband, compared with 16 per cent of women and four per cent of men who said they would give up sex.

US VoIP services provider Vox Communications has announced the launch of a new phone with a built-in screen for video calls. According to the Florida-based company, the Ojo Vision Digital Video Phone is designed for use in the home or in the offices of small or medium-sized businesses. Its main features include a seven-inch LCD digital screen, the option to display the video on a TV screen or TV monitor, plug and play installation and even the choice of using it as a photo frame.

VoIP phone provider Grandstream "has a lot to be proud of" in 2010, according to one writer. Writing for TMCnet, Stefanie Mosca said the company - which was founded in 2002 - accomplished a great deal in a fruitful year. It showcased the GXV3140 phone at the Miami ITEXPO in January, then was name-checked by a US senator who hailed the enterprise for helping him win his seat the following month, the analyst stated.

Millions of people may get the chance to access VoIP services for the first time after the launch of Europe's second dedicated broadband satellite. Created by communications firm Eutelstat, the 6. 1 tonne Ka-Sat was fired into space on top of a proton rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on Sunday (December 26th).

A US district has used VoIP services to improve the way its schools communicate. Minooka Grade School District in Illinois now has a dedicated voice mailbox which parents can access to find out the latest information, particularly on school closures, the Herald-News reports. Families can call the number and get the latest updates from superintendent Al Gegenheimer as soon as he decides a school must close in the case of bad weather or an emergency, meaning three to four hours of contacting households individually can be saved.