Manx Telecom

[joeyconcrete]

Any chance of people just signing up for the Wi-manx voip service without the broadband.

 

Not really. During our early trials with a few thousand calls, we found that the small percentage of our users who experienced poor quality were using another local ISP. This is one of the reasons the service is only provided over any business ADSL (20:1), business grade connection, our Wireless or our own ADSL.

 

I think the Isle of Man more than most places is crying out for a comprehensive and easy to use voip service.

How about selling hardware phones or adapters too and installing it for the customers

 

Our routers are ADSL/Wireless/VoIP/PSTN all in one and come pre-configured if you choose. Should be a matter of plugging a phone in, and off you go. If you already have a router, the ATA also just plugs in and works, it's provisioned from our servers automatically. Also, rather than use the web interface on the ATA, you can make the changes via the portal, which is a lot simpler.

 

And if you look around the internet, things just get more confusing.

Have a look at this

 

There's a few similar devices around, we've tried most or some are very early release. Siemens have a nice range of integrated DECT/SIP phones due out in a couple of weeks.

[Alias]

Our routers are ADSL/Wireless/VoIP/PSTN all in one and come pre-configured if you choose. Should be a matter of plugging a phone in, and off you go. If you already have a router, the ATA also just plugs in and works, it's provisioned from our servers automatically. Also, rather than use the web interface on the ATA, you can make the changes via the portal, which is a lot simpler.

I've seen a tester's box where they pick it up and it switches to wi-manx for cheap outbound calls, and then back to MT for incoming calls.

 

Was a really neat piece of kit, nice one

[PNP]

I've seen the Siemens models myself, but not quite what I was thinking about.

 

The ones that I was looking at are totally consumer friendly as in they just plug it into their phone line (via the micro filter).

 

I'm talking about pushing VOIP to the masses, more like plugging in a new Microwave oven, rather than the consumer having to work out what plugs in where.

 

Just Plug and Play (hmm that phrase could catch on)

 

Oh yes and those devices plug into your normal phone line also, so you can recieve PSTN call too on the same phone.

[joeyconcrete]

The ones that I was looking at are totally consumer friendly as in they just plug it into their phone line (via the micro filter).

 

I'm talking about pushing VOIP to the masses, more like plugging in a new Microwave oven, rather than the consumer having to work out what plugs in where.

 

Just Plug and Play (hmm that phrase could catch on)

 

The latest routers we stock have colour coded plugs and colour coded cables, with a whopping big diagram showing you how to plug it in. The people who have them so far seem pleased enough. We're also not making real margins on hardware on the basis we want people to use our service. Most of the queries we've had are actually about ADSL, not about the VoIP.

[PNP]

Not saying that you should copy them but BT are really pushing their Total Broadband solution at the moment.

 

I'm not trying to be difficult, but I reckon thay've done their research into the way forward and I think they're probably a bit scared of people switching over to VOIP.

 

I was just hoping that somebody could put the sh*ts up Manx telecom the same way.

 

Also I think Orange are looking at offering a similiar type of service.

[Nitro]

I think thats all out of other ISP's hands, Only MT can update it to 8mb and lower the prices.

 

It would be nice to get 8mb broadband for £20 etc but i don't think its going to happen.

[joeyconcrete]

I think thats all out of other ISP's hands, Only MT can update it to 8mb and lower the prices.

 

It would be nice to get 8mb broadband for £20 etc but i don't think its going to happen.

 

The only way prices will drop considerably is if the wholesale cost does, which is unlikely. The biggest driver in the UK for these tumbling prices is LLU. BT Wholesale's pricing scheme is transparent so you can see where the split is. There's a limit to how cheap ADSL can be - as the telco always takes a share.

[PNP]

Thats not the point I was trying to make, I realise that MT have the control on the bandwidth and the price.

 

But if everyone switched over to VOIP and was making free local calls, and not making national and international calls through MT, they'd certaintly take notice.

 

The thing I was trying to show was the intergrated phone/modem/router device that is completely consumer friendly, I was talking to someone today about computers, and he reffered to it as 'Black magic', because he doesn't understand it (he was of a certain age).

 

But I bet he's got a CD player, a microwave oven, A flat screen TV, etc.

 

To push technologies like VOIP to consumers you need to make it very easy for them to understand, and maybe even seperate the VOIP from computers, to say that you don't even need to have a computer, but you can still have dirt cheap phone calls.

 

I do realise that would be a waste of a perfectly good ADSL connection, but hey some people just want to plug an xbox into their ADSL, if they do then why not have cheap phone calls too, its not JUST for PCs.

[joeyconcrete]

PNP - I share your sentiments. We're trying to make VoIP as simple as possible, but there are limits to how easy you can make it. I'd like to see the cost of ADSL fall to the point where it's standard, a "broadband dialtone" as it is now being coined. BT's 21st Century network is meant to achieve this. (Or the 22nd Century network as it will be known locally)