Hub wars: the new telco battle ground
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iiNet is selling 6000 or so BoB hubs a month and Telstra says its T-Hub is selling well. They're different devices, but both signal the future of fixed line telephony.
iiNet's BoB is very similar to the Home Hub that BT launched in the UK several years ago. It's an easy way to facilitate IP telephony for the non-geek. Both are home gateways designed to be placed at the broadband access point in the home. Telstra's T-Hub is quite different — it's a nifty touchscreen device that makes internet access easier around the home, but it's hardly a hub. It's a peripheral device. And, of course, it does not facilitate IP telephony.
On today's Twisted Wire I look at the impact of the hub on how telecommunications are sold. If iiNet's BoB goes from strength to strength will Telstra have to change its attitude to VoIP for the consumer market? And where is Optus in all this?
You'll hear from:
- Jenny Young, executive director consumer marketing at Telstra
- Stephen Harley, general manager business at iiNet
- Simon Watt, R&D technical manager at iiNet
- Graeme Dollar, chief operating officer at Engin
Running time: 24 minutes, 57 seconds