Panasonic readies broadband phone
The consumer electronics company and Jetstream Communications team up to create a telephone that carries multiple phone numbers on a single line equipped with Net access.
With the broadband telephone, Panasonic is combining its well-known brand and consumer-electronics expertise with Jetstream's voice-over-broadband services and software. The company is a privately held maker of communications equipment designed to deliver multiple voice phone calls over a single high-speed or "broadband" Internet connection.
Targeting consumer homes and small businesses, the new phone will be a compact, multiline cordless and high-speed Internet connection with features such as speakerphone, simultaneous access to up to four phone lines with eight handsets, and full support for typical telephone features including caller ID, call waiting, self-installation and multiple voice mail boxes.
Jetstream and its rivals TollBridge Technologies, CopperCom and Accelerated Networks have been busy finding ways to make the equipment installation of voice-over-broadband technology even easier for service providers and phone carriers to deliver to customers. Voice-over-broadband service is aimed primarily at home offices and small and midsize businesses. A single high-speed Web connection can be split, allowing customers to use part of the bandwidth for high-speed Net access and the remainder for several phone lines. The simplicity and lower cost is attractive to business customers.
Panasonic, owned by Matsushita Electric Industrial, and Jetstream said that with the broadband telephone, service providers can sell a complete suite of communications services for both consumer and small-business customers. Voice, data and fax services can be bundled and offered in a number of different packages.
Different bundled packages can include up to four lines for family and business use, up to four individual voice mail boxes, bundled local and long-distance service, high-speed Net access from home, call forwarding from an office number, call transfer and conferencing, and remote network support.
The two companies are demonstrating the new product at the annual Supercomm telecommunications trade show taking place this week in Atlanta.