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'People don't care' about the VoIP service any more, according to BT
BT is to discontinue its Broadband Talk internet telephone service when its new Home Hub router is released at the end of February.
The service, launched in 2006, allows users to make telephone calls over the internet, using either the Broadband Talk software, a standard phone plugged into the Home Hub router, or a special BT Hub Phone, previously available as an optional extra.
However, when the new Home Hub version 3 is released on 28 February it will not include a connection for a standard phone or the Hub Phone. BT's representative told Computeractive that at the same time the Broadband Talk service would be stopped for new users.
The Voice over IP (VoIP) technology used by Broadband Talk is the same as that used by competing service Skype. With the BT service, users were able to pay a fixed fee per month to get free landline calls at certain times, with discount rates available for other calls, such as those to mobile phones.
However, BT now says that the service's time is up, with customers switching to cheaper standard telephone services or competing Voip services.
Mayuresh Thavapalan, BT's general manager for consumer broadband, said: "When the service launched in 2006-2007 it was much more significant in terms of tariff [cost]. Today people don't care about the technology of it being a VoIP phone".
Existing users will be able to keep using the service and keep using their Broadband Talk phones, but those who upgrade to the Home Hub 3 will lose access to the service.
The new Home Hub, available 28 February, will be free to new BT Broadband customers and upgrading customers who don't already have a Home Hub model. Home Hub users can pay £46 to upgrade.
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What chance BT Broadband Anywhere?
When BT allowed Android phones they stopped providing the BT BB Talk facility for the mobile phones. This allows you to use the mobile as if you were using your BB Talk number. I use SipDroid which does the job very well and allows me to access my voicemails whilst away. I am wondering if the new hub and the loss of the (expensive to acquire) hub phones once you upgrade will spell the end of the BT Mobile service as well.
Posted by Vyv T, 07 Feb 2011
Another ISP killing off a useful service
This sevice was the only thing keeping me with BT as I have 2 handsets that I can use in the garden or around the house for my free evening and weeked calls. I use Skype but not everyone is on it and I have to leave my PC on costing me more electricity. Skype always on handsets cost nearly a hundred pounds and if my homehub goes faulty I will get the new router and will have to buy 2 new cordless handsets when I had a service that worked perfectly.
Posted by Anthony Oliver, 19 Feb 2011
Short sighted BT
It seem odd that BT have moved away from their VoIP offering in this way. The ability to put all your phone bills on a single post-paid bill should be a strong selling point for nearly all customers. Having been a user of this service for some years I have found it more reliable than others in this space that include Skype and Vonage which I have used. I think that the BT market folks should take a long hard look at what they did not achieve running this service. It never had voice mail, it never had the ability to have anytimetime plans and it never had bundles for non-domestic phone calls. It truth it looks like they went out of their way to kill it before it started. BT need to be able to capture new market segments and must figure out how to compete with OTT players such as Skype - you cannot just give up.
Posted by Jason Farmer, 25 Oct 2011