Telia’s new triple play package will offer digital TV, IP telephony and broadband to Swedish customers.

Erik Hallberg, head of Broadband Services at TeliaSonera had this to say,

We know that some consumers want IP telephony, which is why we are introducing the offer. Telia is today, thanks to its recent investments in digital TV, Sweden’s largest supplier of triple play with landline telephony. We are now expanding into a totally IP-based solution. We will offer both landline and IP telephony in the foreseeable future. There is no doubt, however, that IP telephony will over time become the dominant service, and our focus on increasing the number of IP-based services is clear

So far, Telia’s triple play package will be available only to about 2.4 million households, with plans to expand availability throughout Sweden in the near future.

Telia’s initial packages include:

IP telephony, digital TV and broadband up to 2 Mbps
SEK 349/month

The above package with up to 8 Mbps
SEK 369/month

The above package with up to 24 Mbps
SEK 419/month

This week Rebtel launched a new mobile site that offers the Rebtel VoIP service, comparable to Skype.

All new users need to do is open an account and start accessing VoIP services on their mobile phones. There are no special requirements or dowloads. Customers can make low cost calls to Rebtel uses in 37 countries.

To use Rebtel, go to rebtel.com/getstarted and submit your phone number, name and location. Once you enter the info about where you’d like to call, Rebtel sets up local numbers for you and the recipient.

Hjalmar Winbladh, Rebtel CEO, explains the new Rebtel site,

We are providing a truly mobile service so anyone with a data connection from any type of mobile device — PDA, smartphone, regular mobile phone — on any network can stay in touch with family and friends while on-the-go.

A big rural VoIP campaign has been planned in New Zealand yb VoIP providers Bay City Communications and WorldxChange, according to Peter Griffin of the New Zealand Herald. Geoff Hun of Kordia tells Peter that there are about 2,000 users on the networks, but there’s room for ten times that number.

Peter thinks that WorldxChange VoIP will be delivered via broadband rather than through a dedicated channel, and that this is likelier to be attractive to New Zealand residents in the area.

Peter notes that WorldxChange’s Paul Clarkin says there have been dozens of people successfully using it for months as part of a trial,

The problem is that new users are still faced with that big upfront cost ($800) of installing the equipment that connects their house or business wirelessly to the Kordia transmission tower,” Peter writes. “That is still a significant barrier to uptake. But now that customers can actually ditch their $40 a month Telecom phone line the economics of the service work out better for everyone concerned.

Some Vonage customers are a little worried. Many Vonage customers opted for this juggernaut of service, thinking that it would be the widest, most stable network.

What if Vonage Goes Extinct?

Not to worry, there are several top notch VoIP service providers ready to fill that gap. And many of them offer sign up specials worth taking a look at. Here are a few of the most noteworthy:

Packet8

Packet8’s parent company holds some 67 patents, demonstrating a solid technical foundation that should put it in a strong position if Verizon opts to expand its patent litigation to a broader network of VoIP service providers.

Currently, Packet8 is waiving their $29.95 activation fee for all tranferring Vonage customers.

Lingo

Lingo offers comparable service and technology at a somewhat reduced rate. They offer free activation and shipping. Customers can decide between one month of free service, or 6 months service at a reduced rate.

InPhonex

InPhonex is also offering to waive activation fees for Vonage customers wanting to transfer. One thing that’s different about InPhonex is that they do charge for the adapters to connect regular phones to the net. But Vonage customers can trade in their equipment for a credit.

It seems to be a common misconception, that VoIP is a free service. While VoIP is generally a very affordable way to make calls, other services can and often do incur additional fees.

Of course the VoIP services package you choose determines the fees for regular voice calls, as well as other additional data services. Many VoIP packages include additional services in the monthly fee, but if you have not purchased this type of VoIP package, rest assured you’ll be paying for additional services as you use them.

In a statement Vodafone said,

There is a misleading perception that VoIP services are ‘free’. This is, however, not the case when it comes to using VoIP over mobile where customers will need to use data connectivity to establish a service and may incur further charges.

For this reason, it may be well worth your while to take a look at the available VoIP packages before making a commitment to a particular provider.

Using a service like Compare VoIP Providers can help you determine the VoIP service that fits you best.

One of the most most obvious myth about VoIP is that it runs only on the Internet. What can we expect? The term Internet is built into VoIP. However, VoIP services, like Verizon VoIP requires and runs on the Internet protocol, but not necessarily on the Internet itself. Internet protocol is not synonymous with the Internet.

The Internet can be accessed from all types of networks. The Internet is not a network type unto itself; it is a network that is accessed by other networks and provides access to other networks.

That’s why the above mentioned Verizon VoIP runs on any network that can run the Internet protocol. This includes every network type known to man. But just because VoIP can run the same protocols over any network type, this does not mean VoIP runs the same way on all network types. The protocols take care of packetizing the telephony voice signals, but the network type takes care of transporting those packets.

A VoIP Service provider based in Idaho, TelExtreme has been marketing their services aggressively not only in the US, but in many developed countries and third-wrold countries as well.

For those who live outside the US, TelExtreme’s Dial Zone 1 (Residential) plan actually gives you unlimited calling for just $59 a month, and is readily available for use in many countries. This package can save you loads of money.

The ATA (Analog Phone Adapter) has to be bought individually for $199.

[+] More Info on Telextreme Voip

Packet8 Business Service plans are perfect for businesses with heavy phone usage. Packet8 offers only one home office/ small office VoIP plan, which is an unlimited VoIP long distance calling plan.

Packet8’s unlimited VoIP long distance calling plan is $34.95 per month which allows you unlimited free calls to anyone in the U.S. or Canada.

Packet8 has by far the least expensive calling plan available but it doesn’t have some of the more advanced features that some of the other carriers provide. Packet8 also has unlimited calling plans to both Asia and Europe as well. Please check the Packet8 website for details.

——– NOTE —————
You can save $14.95 off of the activation fee by providing them with the Packet8 coupon code or Packet8 reseller code “telebay-mbvoip”. Click here.
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nStream and MoBif formed a partnership in Malaysia early 2005, making them the first company in Malaysia to come out with a full scale, high quality VoIP service compatible for both home users and small businesses / SOHO.

nStream offices and distribution centers are currently available in these countries:

• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Indonesia
• Philiphines
• Hong Kong

The nStream plan is currently at $10 per month, also making it the most affordable VoIP plan in the region.

Ideal for the home business or small business setting, nStream Voice is compatible with most other PBX or keyphone systems, and is currently the no. 1 selling VoIP service in Malaysia.

The “NSV” is also cost-effecient because you can still maintain your phone number and no migration plans are necessary.

While VoIP is a brutally competitive field, some unique solutions manage to find themselves a niche market that they serve almost perfectly.

One such solution is nStream Voice. And the niche is inter-branch calling.

nStream Voice or NSV, developed by a beneficial partnership between nStream Gateway Sdn. Bhd. and Mobif Sdn. Bhd. became the first successfully developed and marketed VoIP service in Malaysia.

Essentially, the NSV is an IP phone adapter, which plugs up to 2 regular phone lines, connecting them to the Internet using existing modems or routers.

However, where the NSV is drastically different is that is is controlled my a central media gateway owned by nStream International, located in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.

Because of the gateway, nStream controls the end-to-end process, and thus delivering a better quality overall. This also means that all upgrade, maintenance and support work can be done remotely without ever needing to send a technician to your office.

Neat…

Inter Branch Calling

Below is an example of a plan I laid out for a client. Being an international shipping company, they has offices scattered around the globe, and usually paid in access of RM 6,000 a month for their phone bills…And I can tell you, they were EXREMELY excited seeing this. Who wouldn’t be when you are presented with a plan to eliminate inter-branch communication costs for a dirt cheap investment?

The nStream system can connect to any existing PBX/PABX easily, without the need for any other investment. For smaller or remote branches without a PBX, you can connect the phones directly to the NSV.

When you connect a branch with the NSV, you can call the branch using the virtual number provided with each NSV system, and the cost of the call would be zero.

How Can nStream Voice Help YOUR Business?

The nStream Voice IP Phone Adapter is suitable for any type of business, but is especially wonderful for connecting your offices or branches.

If your business has local / international branches, the NSV can help you reduce your cost by 100%. That means that inter-branch calling can literally be free, 24/7 to any destination in the world.

For outgoing calls to regular mobile and fixed lines, the simple but powerful nStream Voice system can help you reduce your phone bills by 40% - 70% immediately, and yet enjoy the best call quality to any destination in the world.

NSV also gives you all these incredible benefits:

Maintain Your Existing Phone Numbers
There is no need to change your existing phone numbers. The NSV works with any system, and even give you 2 additional numbers per set.

One World One Number
Each NSV comes with 2 virtual numbers. These virtual numbers are 100% portable and can be functional in any part of the world. In other words, you can bring your NSV anywhere you travel, and still enjoy the great benefits. No need to additional roaming charges.
Online Self-Care System
Your staff can monitor all activities and calls made in real-time, 24/7 with our efficient itemized billing system. Now you can have total control of your business costs.
24/7 Technical Support
Leave the worries of technology to us. Our friendly and experienced support staff are always ready to assist you.
FREE Upgrades and Value Added Services
Since the power of NSV s in our gateway, all future updates can be done remotely on our servers, and all you need to do is to reset the unit to enjoy the new features. Value added services include:

• Conference calls up to 30 participants
• Call forwarding
• Follow-me numbers
• Caller ID
• Voice message system (coming soon)
• Voice to Email (coming soon)
• WiFi compatibility (coming soon)

Updates on nStream Voice

Since early 2006, nStream Voice is no longer available. The partnership between nStream and Mobif proved to be less than all it was made out to be.

Mobif owns the technology, and are currently marketing the same ATA under a different name in Malaysia and elsewhere.

Offers plans starting at $49.95 a month for unlimited local and long distance calling to anyone in the U.S., Canada, and 17 countries in Western Europe.

Every Lingo business plan comes with a free dedicated fax line. Lingo includes 26 standard features including:

• Voicemail
• CallerID
• Call Forwarding
• 3 Way Calling
• Call Waiting
• Speed Dialing, etc..

Additional features include Universal Phone Numbers. Lingo will allow you to transfer your existing phone number to Lingo (where available). Lingo also offers businesses local telephone numbers in 15 different countries allowing you to have  a virtual presence in these particular countries.

In my opinion, this is the VoIP service that is best for businesses that make a lot of international telephone calls.