O2 taps into Britain's wireline voice market

Beginning this March, U.K. consumers will be able to turn to O2 as an alternative wireline phone service provider. The former wireless arm of BT will now go up against its former parent with two wireline voice offerings: 'Evening and Weekend' and 'Anytime.'

As its name implies, the $15.45 a month 'Evening & Weekend' package will allow consumers to make unlimited calls to UK homes on evenings and weekends, while the 'Anytime' package offers unlimited calls to UK homes and 20 other countries for a little over $20 per month. Existing O2 mobile voice subscribers can bundle either the 'Standard' or the 'Evening & Weekend' plan for about $28 a month.

"This is the most important launch for us in the home space since we entered the broadband market and is part of our strategy to evolve beyond mobile to a leading connectivity brand," said Sally Cowdry, O2 UK's marketing director in a release.

The launch of the wireline voice service is not just about voice alone. O2 believes the launch of the voice service will enable it to reach its one million wireline broadband subscriber goal by the end of this year. As of the end of September 2009, TeleGeography's GlobalComms Database reported that O2 UK had 527,100 broadband customers.    

For more:
- Telegeography has this article

Related articles
BT and O2 extend iPhone WiFi deal
Jeff Kelly takes top post at BT Global
BT Global: Lack of IT investments hurt businesses
BT boosts Fiber to the Premise plans