06 October 2003
By HEATHER WRIGHTWoosh Wireless - formerly Walker Wireless - is close to finalising an interconnect deal with Telecom which will let Woosh customers make phone calls to people on other telco networks using its broadband wireless modems.
Trials of the Internet telephony service are expected to begin next month.
Woosh Wireless chief executive Bob Smith says Woosh has been working on the deal for six months and is now close to signing off with Telecom.
Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) switching equipment is now being put into the Woosh wireless network.
A full commercial offering is expected by the end of the year and it should then be possible for Woosh customers to make voice calls using a range of existing cordless and analogue phones or using a "soft phone" - a headset attached to a computer - plugged into a Woosh wireless modem.
Mr Smith says customers will be able to call anywhere on the Woosh network and make cellular and international calls.
They will be able to reach any fixed line in New Zealand via Telecom's network.
"At this stage we're just terminating through the agreement with Telecom. We'll negotiate other interconnection agreements as we need to," Mr Smith says.
Customers will be charged an additional fee to access the voice component of Woosh's broadband Internet service and voice traffic will be prioritised on the network to ensure a high-quality service.
The company will offer a range of call plans similar to existing telco offerings.
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