AOL made it official today, formally launching its consumer VoIP service, AOL Internet Phone Service, that was first revealed at the Spring Voice on the Net conference last month.
AOL is packaging the VoIP service with its online service, beginning with an “introductory” package rate of $29.99 per month for the first six months. That offer includes unlimited local and long-distance calling within the United States and Canada, plus unlimited access to the AOL service over a broadband connection. After six months, the price of the package will be $39.99.
The service will be available in 40 markets at launch, with the intent to spread it to additional markets in coming months.
The three service plans available at launch are typical of consumer VoIP offerings in price and services.
--Local Plan: $13.99 per month for the first three months for unlimited local and regional calls and $0.04 per minute for long-distance calls anywhere in the United States and Canada ($18.99 per month after three months).
--Unlimited Calling Plan: $24.99 per month for the first three months for local and long-distance calls within the United States and Canada ($29.99 per month thereafter).
-- Global Calling Plan: $29.99 per month for the first three months, including unlimited local and long-distance calls within the United States and Canada and low international rates ($34.99 per month thereafter).
For a limited time, AOL is giving current members who sign up a free wireless home network base station.
In addition to the usual standard phone features and Web portal, AOL is offering voice mail to e-mail. Further, the service is integrated with AOL buddy lists to know when contacts are online. The service also includes enhanced 911, with delivery of the caller’s location, for all markets in the initial rollout.
The service uses equipment by Sonus Networks Inc.
In addition, AOL Germany has rolled out a broadband voice service, called AOL Phone, based on the MyCall software by NetCentrex, a France-based provider of hosted-VoIP applications. The SIP service gives users a choice of a flat rate of 19.90 euros a month or low per-minute charges. Calls to mobile phones are always charged .20 euros per minute but calls among AOL Phone customers are free. There is also a softphone option.
