Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


spazz

266 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 2


#17105 12-Nov-2007 11:16
Send private message

I'm surprised a topic hasn't already been started on this!

As seen in the stuff.co.nz article here - http://stuff.co.nz/4270604a28.html - it seems to contradict itself.

On the one hand, it says "Vodafone has finally launched its home line service, which lets customers use their mobile in place of their landline for toll-free calls nationwide", 

but it also says you can plug in your handsets, "cordless or corded", which seems to imply a much more traditional phone service, and not nearly as enticing as being able to use your cellphone as a landline when within a certain distance of the @Home device.

Can someone clear this up? :)




View this topic in a long page with up to 500 replies per page Create new topic
 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
chiefie
I iz your trusted friend
5877 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 151

Retired Mod
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #94788 12-Nov-2007 11:27
Send private message

Umm... but the it is posted in the Geekzone news section.


I do like to know what phone features it support though, like can it do fax (international and national)? From the look of it, it is a GSM gateway for wired phone. And if you got cordless phone, you will need the power to supply to both the cordless phone as well as the @Home device, not the best idea for power outage emergency calling (unless the unit itself has built in battery for a few days worth of standby? But it looks too small to have any battery)




Internet is my backyard...

 

«Geekzone blog: Tech 'n Chips Takeaway» «Personal blog: And then...»

 

Please read the Geekzone's FUG

 




freitasm
BDFL - Memuneh
80646 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41030

Administrator
ID Verified
Trusted
Geekzone
Lifetime subscriber

#94789 12-Nov-2007 11:28
Send private message

spazz: As seen in the stuff.co.nz article here - http://stuff.co.nz/4270604a28.html - it seems to contradict itself.


I am surprised that some old timers in this forum still don't check our news section in the front page or subscrib to our RSS feeds...




Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies 

 

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

 


freitasm
BDFL - Memuneh
80646 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41030

Administrator
ID Verified
Trusted
Geekzone
Lifetime subscriber

  #94790 12-Nov-2007 11:31
Send private message

Seriously though it's nothing new. You can find a couple of CDMA *and* GSM gateway models here in New Zealand already - just check APT for some CDMA examples.

What's new is the whole plan - including free national calls, which you can't get with just the device.

I wonder if Vodafone would allow you to BYO device to the plan if you could find anything here in New Zealand? Although, at $99 it's not that bad for a starter kit.




Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies 

 

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

 




stevonz
397 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#94791 12-Nov-2007 11:43
Send private message

It's quite an attractive offer really... although the devil is in the detail.  We have 2 cordless phones & 1 wired phone in our mix at home.  I don't suppose that this would be suitable here. Then we have our broadband with Xnet, and still require a landline until the copper gets undressed (naked)...

VFNZPaulBrislen
970 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

  #94792 12-Nov-2007 11:45

The press release is now up and Peter Griffin at the Herald has some commentary around it as well.

In effect this is a voice landline replacement. For $39.95 a month you get line rental and free national tolls. No toll regions whatsoever - call any landline in NZ and talk as long as you like.

Obviously that doesn't include 0900 numbers or mobile or international but for anybody making toll calls (or, like my wife's grandmother, unwilling to make toll calls because of the cost) this is a great cost saving.

Cheers

Paul





Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz


chiefie
I iz your trusted friend
5877 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 151

Retired Mod
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #94793 12-Nov-2007 11:46
Send private message

stevonz: It's quite an attractive offer really... although the devil is in the detail. We have 2 cordless phones & 1 wired phone in our mix at home. I don't suppose that this would be suitable here. Then we have our broadband with Xnet, and still require a landline until the copper gets undressed (naked)...


For the like of my brother-in-law, where he hasn't got his homeline connected because he was still on the move. So I offered to connect his number to our homeline at the moment... I can see this will benefit him as the only need to carry the unit around whenever he moved to different house.




Internet is my backyard...

 

«Geekzone blog: Tech 'n Chips Takeaway» «Personal blog: And then...»

 

Please read the Geekzone's FUG

 


 
 
 

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).
spazz

266 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 2


  #94794 12-Nov-2007 11:46
Send private message

Jeez, being clobbered about the head for not checking the news pages! I'm so very sorry..




chiefie
I iz your trusted friend
5877 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 151

Retired Mod
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #94795 12-Nov-2007 11:46
Send private message

Paul, what about fax ability?




Internet is my backyard...

 

«Geekzone blog: Tech 'n Chips Takeaway» «Personal blog: And then...»

 

Please read the Geekzone's FUG

 


Batman
Mad Scientist
30012 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6217

Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #94796 12-Nov-2007 11:48
Send private message

well it just sounds too utterly good to be true - $40/month for unlimited national (ie non-021 029 027) calls! (err there is a fair use policy ... i think they should just cap it. otherwise the network WILL crash and burn from overuse)

also it sounds like you can bring the box and bring your home phone with you everywhere you go! how cool!

for people like us who are nomads this is wonderful! please share your experiences as i am considering it!

johnr
19282 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2526
Inactive user


  #94797 12-Nov-2007 11:50
Send private message

Voice only

Not to be used with monitered house alarms

freitasm
BDFL - Memuneh
80646 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41030

Administrator
ID Verified
Trusted
Geekzone
Lifetime subscriber

#94798 12-Nov-2007 11:57
Send private message

joker97: also it sounds like you can bring the box and bring your home phone with you everywhere you go! how cool!


No you cannot. I have just confirmed with Paul that "Vodafone at home" is limited to a certain location, and your box will be provisioned to work on certain cellsites only. No taking the box to the bach...




Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies 

 

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

 


 
 
 

Support Geekzone with one-off or recurring donations Donate via PressPatron.
VFNZPaulBrislen
970 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

  #94799 12-Nov-2007 11:59

No fax capability at this time either, I'm afraid. And if you've got a monitored alarm or one of those medic alert "send help now" devices that also isn't compatible... It's voice only for now - but it's early days yet. Watch this space!





Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz


bcourtney
652 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 27

Trusted

  #94800 12-Nov-2007 12:08
Send private message

I'd love to know what sort of service level guarantees there are for this. It's hugely tempting (although not where I live currently as we don't get reliable GSM coverage).

The main concern I'd have is that VF employees on these forums make it PLAINLY clear for all that VF only guarantees coverage to the street and that the results from the coverage tools on the website are given with this in mind...

Coverage from Vodafone is dicey as it is when out in the open, but what sort of guarantees are made around reliability or suitability for any given location?

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea and would be tempted to convince family and clients to look in to going down this route, but not if the service is flaky.

kfella2000
495 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 9


  #94801 12-Nov-2007 12:19
Send private message

Free toll calls yes and 39c a minute to Vodafone cellphones and 55c a minute to other cellphones. It doesnt say anything about 0900 numbers.

freitasm
BDFL - Memuneh
80646 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41030

Administrator
ID Verified
Trusted
Geekzone
Lifetime subscriber

#94802 12-Nov-2007 12:20
Send private message

I'd really like to know (I couldn't reach Paul for this) if Vodafone will be able to offer a single bill for mobile voice, mobile data and residential voice services...




Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies 

 

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

 


 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
View this topic in a long page with up to 500 replies per page Create new topic








Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.