Qwest rolls out Internet phone service

Telco justifies price by citing fee savings, reliable fiber optics

Qwest Communications has launched residential Internet telephone service for roughly the same price as traditional phone service but without fees that can add another 25 percent or more to a customer’s bill.

Qwest OneFlex will be available in 48 states, but it requires a customer to have a high-speed Internet connection.

Some think Internet-based telephone calling, or voice over Internet protocol, has the potential of revolutionizing the more than century-old telephone industry. But adoption rates have been relatively slow, and voice quality, power outages and lack of 911 emergency services are among the drawbacks.

By Jeff Smith, Rocky Mountain News

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