I don't think this has been posted yet. Not a way to make a good impression. Luckily, it will probably not affect much due to the DELL news.
biz.yahoo.com
Tuesday August 18, 4:19 pm Eastern Time
Internet phone service fails to connect on 1st day
PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug 18 (Reuters) - A+Net, a California Internet service provider, on Tuesday announced the test launch of an Internet telephony service that will enable customers in four U.S. cities to make long-distance calls at very low rates.
There was just one problem -- the service didn't work.
The company said it crossed signals with its partner, Ascend Communications Inc. (ASND - news), which had planned a software upgrade on the launch day, causing the service to fail.
''Hopefully, we'll be back up tomorrow,'' said a spokesman for A+Net.
A+Net, a small San Diego-based Internet service provider with about 4,000 customers, said it believed the system -- once it is up and running -- would revolutionize the way long-distance calls are made.
Unlike many services being developed to transfer voice over the Internet, A+Net says its system is especially light on technology. The user on the receiving end of the call does not even have to have a computer for it to work.
The service is available to all A+Net's customers. Once it is operating, they will be able to call anyone in four test cities: San Diego, New York, Alexandria, Va., and Atlanta.
The initial cost of the service was set at one cent per minute, although A+Net said it would raise that to around five cents once it has gotten all the bugs out of the system. |
