Net2Phone launches broadband IP telephony service

Net2Phone today launched its broadband voice technology and services, designed to bring IP telephony access over cable, DSL and T1 lines while bypassing the PC entirely.

“We’re bringing IP to the edge,” said a Net2Phone spokeswoman. “We want to take IP telephony far away from the PC, but bring it as close to the user as possible.”

Through partners and in-house production, Net2Phone is incorporating its core voice over IP technology into a variety of different broadband devices. The routers are designed to hook into any broadband access device, such as a DSL or cable modem, and into a standard phone, making the service as accessible as a regular phone line.

The technology creates an “intelligent” IP dial tone, and allows a user to receive phone calls as well as make them. Net2Phone also has plans to incorporate the technology directly into access devices, making cable and DSL modems IP ready.

The Net2Phone spokeswoman added the company believes the future of consumer IP telephony is in broadband due to the enormous restrictions presented by PC-originated phone calls over dial-up connections. The static-ridden, choppy connections common in residential IP telephony today are due to the narrowband pipes and the limitations of the computers themselves. More bandwidth and dedicated routers will alleviate those problems, she said.

“Microsoft didn’t design Windows so you could make phone calls. Compaq didn’t build computers so you could make phone calls,” she said. “But a broadband connection is ideal for this kind of voice connection. The quality of the call is going to be better than on any PC.”

While services may be basic now, Net2Phone plans to eventually add more powerful applications, such as voice command, messaging and other enhanced services.