October 30, 2005

By Theresa Howard

It's the survival of the fittest and fastest when it comes to what brands and services will make it through today's technology revolution.

Wireless and wired data exchanges have transformed the way people communicate. It's hard to imagine a time without cellphones, the Internet, iPods and wireless, handheld organizers. Soon, it might be difficult to imagine a time when people made phone calls over traditional copper phone lines, as consumers realize they can make calls faster and more cheaply worldwide by placing them over the Internet.

October 27, 2005

By Johanne Torres

As of tomorrow, Sixth Avenue Electronics will sell Vonage's VoIP-based telephony starter kits in all of its New Jersey retail locations and on its online store, the companies announced on Thursday.

The roll out of Vonage's broadband telephony products at 6th Avenue Electronics presents a great opportunity, which will allow us to further develop our retail sales base," said Phil Giordano, vice president of sales and business development for Vonage Marketing. "We are looking forward to a successful sales growth with one of New Jersey's top local electronics retailers."

October 26, 2005

By Matthew Maier

For the global road warrior, staying in touch with the office usually means tapping lengthy calling card numbers or typing late-night e-mail exchanges. It would be nice if wireless carriers and Internet telephony companies could make international calls as cheap -- or at least as easy -- as dialing next door. Until they do, here are your three best bets.

October 23, 2005

By Gregory Kapp

Cutting telephone costs is one of the most painless ways to trim a household budget. But it's difficult to stay on top of the changes in such a fast-moving industry, in which technology is changing quickly and better offers seem to be weekly events.

"For consumers, it means they have a lot more options available to them," said John Breyault, a spokesman for the Telecommunications Research and Action Center. "It's actually harder for consumers to find the best deal to meet their needs."

Here's a roundup of some new and seldom-used offerings for home and wireless phone service that could save you money.

October 21, 2005

By Edward C. Baig

E.T. likely would have phoned home via the Internet had VoIP not been an alien technology back then.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is geek-speak for phone calls routed through cyberspace. It’s not yet mainstream, but it’s becoming more widely available.

Net calls are cheap: Vonage offers a $25-a-month plan that allows unlimited local and long-distance calls anywhere in the USA and Canada. You also can make inexpensive overseas calls. London for instance is 3 cents a minute, Japan for a nickel.

October 20, 2005

By CATHERINE MCLEAN

It may just be the four-letter word of the telephone industry.

While VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) is the technical term for the latest generation of phone services, many companies are refusing to use it in their marketing. Bell Canada, Shaw Communications Inc. and others favour more generic, less technophile names such as digital voice, digital phone, or Internet phone.

This new application has proven a boon for many early adopters, saving them money on communications. It's based on IP technology, which sends voice and data together in packets over networks. That means calls aren't restricted to phone lines any more, allowing new players such as cable companies to break into the phone market.

So what's wrong with VoIP?

October 18, 2005

By Jim Synder

Frank Cavaliere may lack certain resources available to other lobbyists, like a network of grassroots activists or a political action committee treasure chest, but he has at least one inducement to offer: T-shirts the color of tangerines.

“Everybody on Capitol Hill loves T-shirts,” says Cavaliere, a lobbyist for the Internet phone company Vonage Holdings. “It’s a good icebreaker, and it’s very much under the gift ban.”

“Who can say no to a bright orange T-shirt?” he asks.

Vonage, a 5-year-old company in the midst of preparations for an initial public offering, hopes Congress says no to very little it offers, or at least doesn’t make life more difficult by adopting a host of new regulations.

October 19, 2005

By Terry Maxon

Imagine having a cordless phone that can make calls anywhere you can find a wireless network.

That's what the upcoming UTStarcom F1000 phone promises a Wi-Fi phone connection you can take with you.

Of course, many consumers may say they already have such a phone: They call it a "cell phone," and it can make calls just about anywhere, with no need to be near a Wi-Fi hotspot like the UTStarcom.

October 18, 2005

By Justin Hyde

As the largest U.S. telecommunications companies report their earnings over the next couple of weeks, they will face a tide of negative sentiment from investors and analysts who see little to cheer about.

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc., SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. have fallen over the past couple of weeks to their lowest levels in nearly two years, thanks to a farrago of disappointing data and investors' worries.

With the benefits of a booming U.S. market for wireless services already priced in, most industry watchers say only a big shock will change Wall Street's thinking.

"The fundamentals ... just don't look very attractive," said Dan Genter, president and CEO of RNC Genter Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based fund that owns BellSouth and SBC. "The secular challenges to the Baby Bells really have not improved."

Among the top concerns:

October 24, 2005

By Jeremy Kaplan

Americans spend as much as $200 to $300 a month staying connected with home and mobile phones, Internet access, TiVo and premium TV. Not only are we laying out an additional 20% more each month than we did a decade ago, but as new features come on board--ringtones, downloadable movies and higher-speed Web access--the costs are sure to go higher still. But there are lots of ways to get the same services for less. For starters ...