BT Fusion
Encyclopedia
BT Fusion was a telecommunications product available from BT in the United Kingdom
until 1 April 2009 when it was withdrawn. It "fused" together mobile telephony
and, from the user's point of view, conventional landline
telephony
. In fact, the fixed portion of the link was provided by a Voice over IP
implementation using the domestic ADSL service. The BT Fusion service was compatible with the BT Home Hub
.
The premise of the service was that it could reduce mobile phone costs by not using the mobile network when the user is at home. The same phone was used (a modified version of the Motorola RAZR V3
or Motorola V560), but if the phone was within range of a special base station installed in the user's home or office then incoming and outgoing calls will be routed through that base station instead of the mobile network. This link between the phone and base station was carried over Bluetooth
(BT Fusion was latterly available using Wifi technology, thus allowing discounts not only at home but over BT Openzone WiFi hotspots). BT Fusion was an example of one type of telecommunication convergence.
From the base station, at-home calls are connected to the phone network using an ADSL broadband
connection; only those with BT Broadband connections are eligible for the service. Voice over IP protocols are used to transmit the call, but this is intended to remain largely unnoticed from the user's point of view. In particular, the charges for calls made over the "home" part of a BT Fusion system are essentially the same as landline call charges.
Some commentators criticised the service as expensive and a "solution in search of a problem". In particular, they pointed to free or cheaper-than-landline IP phone systems like Skype
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
until 1 April 2009 when it was withdrawn. It "fused" together mobile telephony
Mobile telephony
Mobile telephony is the provision of telephone services to phones which may move around freely rather than stay fixed in one location. Mobile phones connect to a terrestrial cellular network of base stations , whereas satellite phones connect to orbiting satellites...
and, from the user's point of view, conventional landline
Landline
A landline was originally an overland telegraph wire, as opposed to an undersea cable. Currently, landline refers to a telephone line which travels through a solid medium, either metal wire or optical fibre, as distinguished from a mobile cellular line, where transmission is via radio waves...
telephony
Telephony
In telecommunications, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
. In fact, the fixed portion of the link was provided by a Voice over IP
Voice over IP
Voice over Internet Protocol is a family of technologies, methodologies, communication protocols, and transmission techniques for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol networks, such as the Internet...
implementation using the domestic ADSL service. The BT Fusion service was compatible with the BT Home Hub
BT Home Hub
The BT Home Hub is a wireless residential gateway router distributed by BT. It is based on the Wi-Fi 802.11n standard, and is also backwards compatible with 802.11g and 802.11b. All Models of the Home Hub prior to the Home Hub 3.0 support VoIP Internet calls via BT's Broadband Talk service and are...
.
The premise of the service was that it could reduce mobile phone costs by not using the mobile network when the user is at home. The same phone was used (a modified version of the Motorola RAZR V3
Motorola RAZR V3
Motorola RAZR is a series of clamshell mobile phones by Motorola, and is one of the series in the 4LTR line. They were first developed in July 2003 and were released in the market in the third quarter of 2004....
or Motorola V560), but if the phone was within range of a special base station installed in the user's home or office then incoming and outgoing calls will be routed through that base station instead of the mobile network. This link between the phone and base station was carried over Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
(BT Fusion was latterly available using Wifi technology, thus allowing discounts not only at home but over BT Openzone WiFi hotspots). BT Fusion was an example of one type of telecommunication convergence.
From the base station, at-home calls are connected to the phone network using an ADSL broadband
Broadband Internet access
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate, low-latency connection to the Internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56 kbit/s modem or satellite Internet with inherently high latency....
connection; only those with BT Broadband connections are eligible for the service. Voice over IP protocols are used to transmit the call, but this is intended to remain largely unnoticed from the user's point of view. In particular, the charges for calls made over the "home" part of a BT Fusion system are essentially the same as landline call charges.
Some commentators criticised the service as expensive and a "solution in search of a problem". In particular, they pointed to free or cheaper-than-landline IP phone systems like Skype
Skype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
.
External links
- BT site
- "BT 'BluePhone' Fusion is better than Skype because...?", The Register, 15 June 2005