Telstra converts your iPod into the home phone

Joseph Hanlon - Editorial Director

Last updated 08 September 2015

A new app, launched by Telstra today, aims to do away with scrambling for a ringing cordless phone, in fact, it may do away with landline handsets altogether.

The T-Voice App is Telstra’s latest update to our century-old reliance on fixed line telephony, moving the home phone away from a dedicated device and onto whichever WiFi enabled gadget you have at hand. The App is available for both iOS and Android devices, so even your old iPod could the handset you choose to use for when you’re speaking with Nanna.

Telstra customers who download and use the app can expect to be charged at the same standard call rates they currently pay. The service still utilises the existing home phone network, despite using home WiFi to access it.

You also need to be a Telstra ADSL or NBN customer — just having a home phone service isn’t sufficient to use the new service.

This is an interesting, and unexpected, new product for Telstra to launch. We’d have thought we’d see a Wi-Fi calling app for mobile services before a similar app but for home phones. Optus launched its WiFi Talk app last month; allowing its customers to make calls from mobile services over the WiFi network at home or the office. We would have thought Telstra would also see this as an essential new option to be offering its huge base of subscribers.

WiFi calling is a fairly new concept for Australian service providers, but it is something offered by telcos in the U.S. for some time. The chief benefit is not cost saving, but enhanced coverage and reliability. If you’re someone who experiences a weak mobile signal inside your house, then you are a perfect candidate for WiFi Calling.

We’ve covered this before, and no doubt we’ll cover it again, because WiFi calling should be a standard feature of all mobile phone plans.

Check out Telstra Broadband Bundles to find a compatible plan

Old Phone Smartphone image via Shutterstock

Joseph Hanlon

Editorial Director | X | LinkedIn

Joe Hanlon has been immersed in mobile phones, plans and the internet for over a decade, having written for publications like CNET, Techradar, Gizmodo and Lifehacker. He steers the editorial ship and makes sure that we are always serving up the most useful guides and recommendations. If you ever bump into Joe on the street, don't be afraid to ask for a phone recommendation. It's embarrassing how much he enjoys talking about this stuff. He also loves listening to podcasts, so feel free to email Joe with recommendations.

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