By Ayanna Kirton, Staff ReporterCALLTHEPLANET.COM, A Canadian-based company in the business of providing long distance calling services using Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), has introduced the service to the Jamaican market.
Put simply, VoIP, also known as Internet Telephony, refers to communications services voice, facsimile, and/or voice messaging applications transported via the Internet instead of the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
The basic steps involved in originating an Internet telephone call are conversion of the analog voice signal to digital format and translation of the signal into Internet protocol (IP) packets for transmission over the Internet; the process is reversed at the receiving end.
LONG DISTANCE SERVICES
In a conversation with Wednesday Business, Stan Capiak, managing director of Calltheplanet.com Barbados said the VoIP service represented tremendous savings in long distance calling costs for Jamaican customers. The company will provide long distance calls to the United States at the rate of $1.00 for local subscribers of dial-up wireless, or broadband Internet access through three different products: VoIP Valet for dial-up subscribers, VoIP SoftPhone for notebook users, and VoIP Broadband for broadband and wireless subscribers.
In addition to monthly fees of US$34.95, dial-up customers must purchase the required software, priced at US$39.95, to enjoy the reduced long distance calling rates while wireless and high speed subscribers are required to purchase a device about the size of a VHS cassette at US$199.95, which is then attached to their wireless or broadband connection port.
SUBSCRIBER BASE
According to Stan Capiak, with subscribers in over 88 countries worldwide, Calltheplanet.com has subscribers in every Caribbean territory as well. So far residential customers make up the bulk of the service's subscriber base, though Mr. Capiak says several corporate clients have taken advantage of the low costs associated with Callthplanet.com's VoIP.
"The world has become very small with technology and almost everyone knows someone or has family living abroad," said Mr. Capiak. "The VoIP service helps to reduce the cost of calling overseas, particularly in Jamaica where calls to friends and family abroad are made frequently."
