The POOL ROOM

Cameron Parsons · #1 (**permalink**) 05-11-2009, 05:56 AM

Been using VOIP for more than 5 years now Les... It's the only way to go..

Just about paid for a new GT40 with the savings, funny how it seems to have been spent on the kids though

Rebel1 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-11-2009, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cameron Parsons

Been using VOIP for more than 5 years now Les... It's the only way to go..

Bugga, why didn't ya tell me sooner. I was even thinking of changing the first wife for a new one just to reduce the phone bill.

Rebel1 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 04:13 PM

Well, looks like we are the only two to take advantage of technology to make cheaper phone calls Cameron.

The least I pay to Telstra the happier I am.

Cameron Parsons · #4 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 05:57 PM

You have no idea how much I support that sentiment

sambo · #5 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebel1

The least I pay to Telstra the happier I am.

Les, unless you have a satellite phone, like the rest of us you probably rely on Telstra to maintain the copper lines from the exchange to your doorstep. Without that there's no ADSL, 56k, voice, etc. They can improve in many areas (eg, customer service, billing) but we definitely can't live without them!

Rebel1 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 07:40 PM

You are correct sambo, until the NBN becomes a reality then goodbye Telstra. OK, maybe not goodbye Telstra if they exchange some of their current fibre for equity in the NBN.

But clearly, their service is lousy and way too expensive.

OK...so now I have the very basic of service from Telstra just to retain the copper for my ADSL. All my outgoing voice telecommunications now go VOIP.

My VOIP plan costs me $9.95 a month for which I get 100 free untimed phone calls anywhere in Oz. Ten cents per untimed call after the 100 free ones. Mobiles cost me 18cents a minute timed. I get call waiting and voice mail and mail notification to my email. I can take my laptop with me anywhere in the world and ring home for a local call fee, or free if I have remaining free calls.

Ignoring my ADSL cost which I've had for years and was on top of the Telstra account anyways, this last month of VOIP usage has cost a little less than $42.00. Every month previous the Telstra account has been around $150.00 to $170.00.

I had heard all sorts of reports of garbled speech, echoing etc., but I have experienced none of that. Certainly I had some early problems but a change of codec changed that real quick.

I still have a Telstra service and the router defaults to PSTN if there are any problems.

I love saving money on a service I don't use. I'm seriously thinking of doing the same with the business side of things.

Aussie Mike · #7 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 08:56 PM

The company I work for develops and deploys a lot of this technology around the world.

Triple play is the way it'll all go eventually. Normal telephone networks will be replaced with VOIP networks. Your pay TV, your broadband internet and telephone will all come down one high speed digital link to your home via either fiber or VDSL2 on copper.

NBN is a long way off now that they have decided on a fiber to the home strategy. Trenching cable is expensive and since the NBN will be a seperate network to Telstra it means they have to build it from scratch.

I'm thinking what they'll end up with is a mixed solution. Part fiber to the home and part fiber to the node with VDSL2 from the node to the home on copper.

VDSL2 is not ratified yet in Australia with the comms authorities. You can get some phenominal data rates out.

Interesting times ahead.