TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: For $999, a Lifetime of Internet Phone Calls

For $999, a Lifetime of Internet Phone Calls

Lisa Minter (lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com)
Mon, 06 Dec 2004 11:56:25 -0500

Jack Decker's note: Interesting idea here, but of course the problem
is that any sort of "lifetime" plan beg the question -- whose
lifetime? That of the customer, or of the company offering the plan?
Basically you are gambling that the company will stick around long
enough to at least give you a better deal than you would have got by
buying service on a per-month basis. On the other hand, this plan
could give the company a lot of up-front cash to reinvest in the
company, and by the time four or five years are up it just might be
that there are no longer significant terminating charges on calls, so
the company will be able to keep providing the service. Since I have
no crystal ball (and would probably only see the dust on it if I did),
I can't tell you what the future will bring for those who sign up for
this.

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/12/06/for_999_a_lifetime_of_internet_phone_calls/

For $999, a lifetime of Internet phone calls

By Peter J. Howe, Globe Staff | December 6, 2004

Making unlimited phone calls for a fixed monthly price has proven to
be a key selling point for Internet phone services like Vonage and
AT&T CallVantage.

But an upstart Dedham company is raising the stakes, offering
consumers all the phone calls they want for the rest of their lives.

RNK Telecom Inc. is promising subscribers that for a one-time payment
of $999 they can make an unlimited number of unbilled calls for their
remaining days on Earth.

Customers would have to continue to pay another company for a
broadband Internet connection, however.

RNK plans to begin offering the "Phone for Life" plan today to
Massachusetts consumers, through retail partners including Galaxy
Internet Services of Newton, Pro-Speed.net of Tyngsborough, and
Voip2Save.com of Providence. The same deal will be offered in New
Hampshire and Rhode Island later this month and in New York in
January, company president Richard N. Koch said.

At current rates, compared to the $30-a-month cost of AT&T Corp.'s
CallVantage Internet phone service, with the first month free, RNK's
offer would not save a consumer money until after 34 months of
service.

Full story at:
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/12/06/for_999_a_lifetime_of_internet_phone_calls/

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