AOL Rolls Out VOIP Service
America Online Inc. introduced its Internet phone service on Thursday, focusing the initial release on AOL subscribers and on connecting consumers' traditional phones into voice-over-IP networks.
Source: eWeekThe AOL Internet Phone Service is available in more than 40 markets in the United States and will expand to additional cities over the next few months, AOL announced.
Executives from AOL previewed the company's Internet telephony plans during last month's VON conference. Like comparable services, AOL's VOIP service relies on a broadband connection to the Internet to carry voice calls.
AOL's VOIP service will compete with services from startups such as Vonage Holdings Corp. as well as the growing number of Internet telephony offerings from telecommunications carriers and cable companies.
"[This] means AOL is getting into phone business," said Jim Tobin, AOL's vice president and general manager of advanced voice services. "The PC is involved in service here, but fundamentally it's a phone service."
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