TORONTO – The headline on the release this morning touted Bell’s VOIP launch in Toronto and Hamilton, but deeper into the release, the telco said it’s also launched a “lite” version to compete throughout Ontario and Quebec that’ll work on anyone’s broadband connection.
Bell’s existing IP telephony service, launched last March in its territories of Québec City, Trois-Rivières and Sherbrooke, is being renamed Bell Digital Voice Lite and made available throughout Quebec and Ontario starting today, says the company.
As the “lite” tag implies. It’s meant to be a “convenient, portable solution, targeted mainly to secondary line users and individuals on the go,” says the release. It needs a broadband connection and sounds like the offering from Vonage or Primus and some of the cable companies.
“Using a regular phone and the provided voice adapter, consumers can place and receive phone calls over any router-equipped high-speed Internet connection, whether DSL or cable, from anywhere in the world,” says the release.
Bell Digital Voice Lite offers similar calling features to Bell Digital Voice. The service is priced at $34 for unlimited local plus 1200 minutes of province-wide long distance calling and $39 for unlimited local plus 1200 minutes of Canada-US long distance calling.
"Bell Digital Voice Lite will appeal to consumers who want a second home line or for those who seek the added benefit of portability," said Ron Close, president, VoIP, Bell Canada, in the release.
The service being launched in Toronto and Hamilton, however, sounds a bit more robust. It’s not “lite”.
Bell Digital Voice delivers advanced IP-based communications capabilities “together with the quality and reliability of Bell’s networks, without the need for an Internet connection,” says the press release.
While available in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton now, it will be progressively rolled out across Ontario and Quebec, too.
While Bell got started with VOIP in March, triggering a cascade of complaints because Bell did not seek tariff approval prior to launching there, the company received interim approval for the service in the summer, and faces a hearing on it later this year.
The new Bell Digital Voice allows consumers to use advanced capabilities such as voicemail to email, additional numbers, enhanced call forwarding and online account management. Consumers can keep their current phone number and use all existing phone jacks and handsets in their home.
The service does not require a truck roll or the installation of additional equipment at the customer’s premise, such as a modem, router or battery back-up. All that’s required to activate the service is a phone call.
"The new Bell Digital Voice is an IP telephony breakthrough and an attractive option for consumers ready to move to this technology," said Ron Close, president, VoIP, Bell Canada. "This combination of advanced IP-based calling features and the reliability of Bell’s networks is simply unmatched in the Canadian market."
The service is available at $40 per month, including unlimited local calling and an extensive array of calling features, with no contract required. Customers also can choose between two long distance plans including $10 per month for 1200 minutes of province-wide long distance calling and $18 per month for 1200 minutes of Canada-US long distance calling.
The features of the new Bell Digital Voice service include:
* Voicemail to email – automatically forwards voice messages to your email account
* Call Forwarding Plus – program up to ten phones, such as your mobile, home and cottage phones to ring sequentially or simultaneously
* Popular calling features – voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call screening, three-way calling
* Online Account Manager – personalize your service features and view call records anytime through a simple website
* Enhanced 911 and 411 – emergency response centre and Directory Service
* 24/7 support – live and online
* Additional numbers – from 23 cities across Canada regardless of your home city, for a monthly fee of $4 each
* Meet Me Calling – organize conference calls for $4 a month
