deltathree launches VoIP trial in China

Not having a wired infrastructure can have its benefits. For instance, deltathree, a U.S.-based provider of second-line, voice-over-IP service, is launching a trial with partner Innostar Hi-Tech Enterprises in China, where VoIP will probably be the primary commercial or residential service.

“Our partner [Innostar] believes there’s going to be a great market and a lot of revenue coming their way,” said Jarrett Bens, deltathree’s senior marketing manager. “They have partnerships with some of the biggest players there [in China].”

Because it is not heavily wired, the Chinese market is skipping circuit-switched telephony in moving to broadband services such as VoIP. This opens a door for companies like deltathree, which provides PC-based IP voice interface.

“You need a high-speed connection … and that could be DSL, cable modems, satellite,” said Bens. “It allows you to not only get Internet access but also get telephony service over that same line.”

In the U.S., this is an inexpensive entrée to second-line service, because “it’s just using IP to put voice and data on the same connection and routing traffic through our network,” Bens said. “It’s a regular telephone plugged into a voice-enabled device hooked up to a computer.”

The burgeoning Chinese market will be able to overlook some of the technology’s shortcomings, such as inability to connect to 911 services, while offering a quick and inexpensive way to get Internet and telephony services.