At a time when customer satisfaction is among carriers' highest priorities, Alltel has launched a unique feature that lets the customer decide who will be in their calling plan. My Circle subscribers, with rate plans costing $59.95 or more a month, can choose up to 10 numbers to any US wireless or wireline network. They can make or receive unlimited free calls at any time of day and can change those numbers online as often as they like for free. To address customer frustrations, Alltel already gives customers the flexibility of changing rate plans without contract extensions and promises to keep customers connected or pays them back. Larger carriers have added unlimited calling on nights and weekends and free calling to subscribers within their network. My Circle goes further by extending free calling to other carriers' networks without time of day restrictions. The influx of cable and Internet companies who haven't traditionally provided phone services and a steady stream of telecom mergers have intensified the competition for subscribers. This plan may move current customers from lower rate plans to higher priced plans increasing Alltel's revenue while retaining its customers.   top    -News and Stuff

Kentucky Passes Deregulation Bill
The Kentucky senate approved a bill curtailing the state public utility commission's ability to regulate retail phone service rates. Companies would be able to set their own rates for services such as call waiting and caller ID and offer these services individually or in package deals. Basic service rates would be frozen for five years, after which time, proposed increases would have to be approved by the PUC.

Under the legislation, rates paid by consumers who receive broader telecommunications services marketed by phone companies would not be regulated. Companies would not have to disclose rates for these packages to state regulators.

The bill must be signed by Governor Fletcher to become law.

 

 

Clearwire Moves Into VoIP
Clearwire, a high speed wireless broadband provider, is adding voice to their current Internet services. Jointly developed with Bell Canada, the "Clearwire Internet Phone Service" is initially being introduced in Stockton, California.  This facilities-based phone service, specifically designed for use over the Clearwire broadband network, offers a local phone number with unlimited local and long distance calling within the US and Canada. Customers can access and manage their call functions by using an online dashboard accessible through any Internet connection.

 

 

Sri Lanka Telecom Deploys Infinys
Convergys Corporation's Infinys Rating and Billing and Mediation software is now fully operational at Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). The implementation of Infinys was the largest information technology project ever undertaken by SLT, a Colombo-based telecommunication services provider with more than one million business and residential subscribers providing domestic and international voice, Internet, and data services.

Implementing the new software has enabled SLT to realize new revenues, enhance customer service and reduce OSS costs while quickly launching new products and services. "The increase in subscribers, integration between provisioning and billing, along with convergent capabilities of Infinys Rating and Billing have resulted in significant increases in revenue for us," said Shuhei Anan, chief executive officer of SLT. Anan also said the company expects to recoup their investment in Infinys within the first six months of operations.

 

New VoIP Phone Switch Product Line
3^rd Wave Consulting Services recently announced the release of a new VoIP phone switch product line for small to mid-sized businesses. The 3^rd Generation Telephone Exchange (3G-TX) includes two models: 3G-TX-P and 3G-TX-R. The 3G-TX product line and hosting services are 100% customizable and allow integration of voice mail, call logs, report generation, and email at a lower cost than a typical PBX.  The system enables businesses to integrate key business applications such as HR and accounting. Each 3G-TX comes loaded with either a Call Center application or Standard Business application.  

The 3G-TX-P is a small, portal phone switch for small businesses and virtual/remote teams. The 3G-TX-R is the enterprise or rack mount line. Each product operates on an open-source platform and may be used as-is or customized to the end-user's specifications.

 

 

Oracle's Roadmap for Telecom SDP
Oracle outlined its roadmap for a comprehensive, standards-based Service Delivery Platform (SDP) last month. The Oracle SDP is being designed to help communication service providers, network operators and system integrators move to service-oriented architecture (SOA) more easily. It supports IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) with its SIP application server, presence server and proxy registrar. The SDP also supports carrier legacy software based Java API Parlay X Web Services standards.

Oracle plans to add call control capabilities that are intended to work across IMS and legacy networks as well as a charging enabler to integrate SDP with billing systems. Also planned are out-of-the-box services to include mobile content delivery, VoIP, and virtual PBX that can be immediately deployed for faster ROI.

Key elements of the SDP are currently available. A broader suite of functionality is scheduled to be available later this year.

 

 

6DegreesIP Version 4.0 Release
New Global Telecom, a wholesale hosted VoIP provider, released version 4.0 of its 6DegreesIP branded suite of VoIP voice products. Version 4.0 incorporates an enhanced Trunk Replacement product that replaces traditional PRI and T-1 trunks, and converges voice and data circuits allowing businesses to reduce their communications expense.

This latest version includes new features and upgrades such as Instant Group Call (IGC) for PBX-like paging functionality, Hoteling Service for businesses with mobile workers and an E911 pre-sales validation utility that lets service providers verify 911 coverage from within the online 6DegreesIP Resource Center. The Trunk Replacement Service gives businesses the lower cost benefits of VoIP without having to replace their PBX.

 

 

FCC Local Telephone Competition Data
The FCC has released new data on local US telephone service competition for ILECs, CLECs, and facilities-based mobile telephony service providers. Among statistics included in the report are:

• number of switched access lines for local telephone service

• number of mobile telephony subscribers

• number of resident, business, institutional and government subscriber lines

The report is available for reference in the FCC's Reference Information Center or can be downloaded at www.fcc.gov/wcb/stats.

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