DSG launch Freetalk
Link: DSG launch Freetalk
Freetalk technology to make voice calls over broadband has been launched in Dixons, Currys, The Link and PC World. Freetalk connects into a broadband connection via an adaptor, enabling users to make calls over the internet using a phone handset and without the need to switch on a computer.
The development of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology has been led by software firm Skype and net calling is transforming the phone industry.
DSG International, which owns PC World, Currys, The Link and Dixons, expects about half a million users to sign up for Freetalk within a year.
VoIP technology converts phone conversations into data to be transmitted down the same wires used to browse the net. Voip services are available as free software that lets you make calls from a computer, such as Skype, Google Talk, or BT Communicator, while adaptors and hardware routers, such as that offered by FreeTalk, bypass the need for a computer.
Skype is the most successful of the free software programs available, with approximately 55 million subscribers worldwide.
Freetalk is similar to other services such as Vonage. Users can choose their own area code wherever they live in the UK. The kit also keeps its phone number, even if it is plugged into another broadband connection in the UK or abroad. Users can use their home phone number abroad and avoid roaming charges.
Freetalk’s start up kit costs £79.99. Subscribers pay a £6.99 a month for unlimited free calls to all UK landlines and cheaper international and mobile calls.
