Telecommunications: February 2008 Archives
It's nice to see a faint glimmer of innovation for residential phone
subscribers. It would have been nicer if the service had been added to the
existing voicemail service. Being forced to pay extra for a service that has
been a normal feature of IP Telephony for years, does not enhance value.
With respect to residential POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) there is no
doubt that service quality and reliability is outstanding. In fact, for most
Canadians, residential voice service, offered by the Incumbent Providers is so
reliable that we rarely give it a second thought. When was the last time you
wondered if you would hear dial-tone when you picked up the receiver? However,
even though there have been tremendous advances in communications technology,
residential voice services have remained relatively unchanged for decades.
The other offering is innovative, interesting and could lead to some new and
useful applications. Named, Text to Landline Service, the Bell Mobility
offering enables clients to send text messages to any landline phone. Text
messages are converted into an automated voice message delivered to the
recipient's phone. The message can then be heard live or is sent to voicemail
if the call is received by an answering machine or voicemail. A confirmation
message is sent to the sender indicating whether the message was successfully
delivered to a live person or a voicemail system. If delivered to a person, the
recipient will have the option to respond immediately by sending a voice
message back to the original sender, who automatically receives a notification
message. The Text to Landline service works with any landline in
Mobile services are becoming increasingly more functional, reliable and
cheaper. That, combined with Internet Telephony alternatives and the snail-pace
of innovation in POTS, is combining to convince me that perhaps its time to cut
the cord and save a few bucks a month.
Stumble It!
