Text from landline on TW

[Neil]

Just had this through from Telewest's PR Department....

Originally Posted by Telewest

New service lets you text with a landline

Telewest Broadband has launched a new home phone service that allows everyone to join the texting revolution, without needing a mobile phone.

The cable company's texting service enables SMS messages to be sent and received using a text-enabled phone and landline. Or, for those with a standard phone, it will turn the text into an audio message.

Incoming messages are delivered by an automated female voice, which can translate texting abbreviations, such as 'u r gr8!' Senders simply type the text as normal and send it to the relevant home number - where the phone will ring to deliver the audio message, or store it if no-one is available.


Eric Tveter, president and chief operating officer at Telewest Broadband,
said: "Texting has never been more popular, but it's previously been exclusive to mobile phone users. Our new service allows family members and friends to send and receive SMS messages at home."

The service is expected to appeal to families with children and teenagers, who will be able to swap short messages with their parents about where they are, what their plans are, or when they need a lift.

Telewest Broadband's phone customers can also benefit from a mobile calling package offering savings on both texts and calls to mobiles. Talk Mobile costs £1.50 per month on top of standard phone line rental and offers calls to the four main mobile networks for a third less than BT Together rates.

For more details about the new texting service and a list of compatible text phones, consumers can visit www.telewest.co.uk/text. For further information about Telewest Broadband's bundle of phone, digital TV and internet
services, they can call 0800 953 5000 or visit www.telewest.co.uk.
Ends

Messages sent over a landline cost 10p per text, or 7p with the Telewest Broadband Talk Mobile calling package. To send messages customers will require a Telewest Broadband phone line with the Caller Display feature activated, plus a suitable text-enabled phone. Incoming texts cost nothing to receive and don't require new phone equipment.

Telewest, the broadband communications and media group, currently passes and markets to 4.7 million homes and provides multi-channel television, telephone and internet services to 1.76 million residential customers. For further information go to http://mediacentre.telewest.co.uk

It looks good, & seems to be another step in the right direction for Telewest.

[Edit]-Mick has put a news article up now too: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...ith-a-landline

[Toto]

Can receive voice test messages on my ntl landline, but I can't send them. Well done Telewest

[Dave Stones]

i dunno about the sending texts thing, but the receiving voice messages thing is a joke..... some of the things the "automated voice" comes out with are hilarious... sounds like stephen hawking on drugs or something

will be interesting to see if sending texts works, will have to trial it sometime

[Mick]

Originally Posted by Dave Stones

some of the things the "automated voice" comes out with are hilarious... sounds like stephen hawking on drugs or something

Incoming messages are delivered by an automated female voice