VoIP providers prepare NBN attack

VoIP and telephony providers Engin and MyNetFone are set to become retail service providers over the National Broadband Network in the first move by non-traditional ISPs to broadband services.

The service forms part of a sub-wholesale agreement with Nextgen networks, which provides access to the NBN points of interconnect and system portals.

The network with other service providers

Though competing for clients on the network with other service providers, Engin will as well offer its VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) platform to other providers pursuant to this agreement the Nextgen sub-wholesale agreement.

The addition of both players increase what is already a crowding broadband market widely expected to introduce non-traditional players and household names including supermarkets and banks into the mix over coming years.

MyNetFone technical director and co-founder Rene Sugo told iTnews that the firm would continue to focus on VoIP and number portability in accordance with its NBN plans, which it saw as an access innovation for existing services.

VoIP player

"We started off as a VoIP player and VoIP is very good to us... however we’re sort of moving ourselves into a full service provider of sorts," he said.

"In some respects it will just be another access research for us to reach our clients and deliver our value-add, which is the voice and hosted telephony."

The company is already providing VoIP services to some NBN trial clients, which had spurred it to offer full broadband services over the fibre network.

It will as well offer its flagship virtual PBX (Private -Automatic- Branch Exchange) product to businesses over the NBN, beginning with a residential service to some businesses.

The inherent reliability of the NBN’s fibre network

NBN Co will commercially release business-grade wholesale products later this year nevertheless Sugo said the inherent reliability of the NBN’s fibre network and guaranteed speeds over residential plans already offer a high-quality service for its voice products.

"From my point of view, the NBN current offerings are much better than ADSL or even the Ethernet offering that are available to businesses over the copper network at any rate in terms of delivering capabilities, service levels and consistency of service," Sugo said.