America Online, the once dominate Internet Service Provider, is attempting to stake its claim on the frontier of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), rolling out its new AOL Internet Phone Service. The company says it will provide members a way to meet all their voice, email and instant messaging needs.
America Online is introducing the AOL Internet Phone Service in more than 40 markets across the United States, the first phase of a nationwide rollout that will continue to additional cities over the coming months. AOL says the service will offer cost-saving pricing over traditional telephone service and an enhanced suite of integrated voice and online messaging features.
"The AOL Internet Phone Service will uniquely combine advanced tools, competitive pricing plans and AOL`s hallmark ease of use to allow mass-market consumers to take full advantage of the revolution underway in Internet voice technology," said Jon Miller, Chairman and CEO, America Online, Inc.
America Online said it would offer new AOL customers a special introductory package rate of $29.99 per month for the first six months for the AOL Internet Phone Service and the AOL service. This offer includes unlimited Local and Long Distance calling within the US and Canada plus unlimited access to the AOL service over a broadband connection.
At the end of six months, the price of the package will be $39.99.
For the AOL Internet Phone Service alone, current AOL members will have three options:
• 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 US and Canada ($18.99 per month thereafter);
&149; Unlimited Calling Plan: $24.99 per month for the first three months for one flat fee for local and long distance calls within the US and Canada ($29.99 per month thereafter); and
• Global Calling Plan: $29.99 per month for the first three months, including unlimited local and long distance calls within the US and Canada and low international rates ($34.99 per month thereafter).
As a limited time offer in conjunction with the first phase of the rollout of the new service, America Online is giving current AOL members who sign up a free wireless home network base station.
The AOL Internet Phone Service transforms an existing high-speed Internet connection into a voice and data service. By transmitting telephone calls over a high-speed Internet connection, the AOL Internet Phone service will enable users to make and receive local, long distance and international phone calls at a lower cost than traditional land line phone services.
The company says the new service is unique because it has a suite of features, many of which are not currently available with other telephone services, including unified voice, e-mail and instant messaging, enhanced voicemail and call management capabilities, online presence awareness, and more.
The AOL Internet Phone Service is being introduced to consumers in numerous markets beginning today, including: Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Colorado Springs, CO; Columbus, OH; Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit,MI; Ft. Myers, FL; Hartford-New Haven, CT; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, KS; Lafayette, IN; Laredo, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Norfolk, VA; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Providence, RI; Raleigh-Durham, NC; Salt Lake City, UT; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA; Seattle-Tacoma, WA; St. Louis, MO; Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL; Tucson, AZ; Washington DC; and West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL.
