Summary
Troubled internet access company America Online will launch its own voice over internet protocol service, to be called “AOL Internet Phone Service.” The service provides unlimited calls to the US and Canada at $39.99 a month, with a ten dollar discount for the first six months of new subscribers. Even with the discount, however, the service still costs higher than fees charged by many VoIP providers, including Vonage, BroadVoice and VoicePulse.
Original source:
http://voxilla.com/voxstory153.html
Details
Suffering Internet giant launches its broadband telephone service with a hefty $39.99 monthly rate, but throws in a $10 discount for six months to new customers.
America Online (AOL) will officially launch its Voice over IP service --- called "AOL Internet Phone Service" --- Thursday, the company announced in a press statement released late Wednesday night.
The service, to be bundled with access to AOL's internet content and including unlimited calling to the U.S. and Canada, is being offered in 40 U.S. markets and will carry a price of $39.99 per month, significantly higher than most existing VoIP [1] services.
During the first six months, new customers will be offered a $10 discount.
But, even reduced to $29.99, the AOL price will be higher than services such as BroadVoice [2], Packet8 [3], VoicePulse [4] and Vonage [5], each of which has a significant head start on the Time Warner-owned internet service giant that has fallen on difficult times of late.
Currently, AOL has about 22.6 million internet customers, having lost about 4.5 million over the past two years.
Existing AOL customers will pay between $13.99 to $29.99 per month to add the company's VoIP service, though those rates will increase by $5.00 in three months.
For a limited time, the company will give current AOL members who sign up a free wireless home network base station.
AOL, like Packet8, will offer enhanced 911 capabilities that automatically delivers a caller's address to emergency dispatchers during an emergency call.
Packet8's e911 service is offered as a $1.50 per month add-on to the company's popular $19.95 U.S. unlimited calling plan.
But like Packet8's e911 offering, AOL's will not work if the customer installs the service at a location unknown to the company.
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has authored and published several downloadable personal preparedness courses including a downloadable course focused on safety and self defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a veteran of the software technology industry, having founded a personalized mass email software product used to deliver email newsletters to subscribers. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005
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