Tesco Internet Phone, a service set up by Tesco Telecoms in 2006, is to cease operations on 27th April 2010.
In a statement issued on their website, Tesco Telecoms say:
From 27th April 2010, we will be closing our Internet Phone and Talk Wi-fi business. This is due to a number of factors that impact the service we provide to you, so with regret, we have decided to discontinue this offering. From the 27th April 2010 you will no longer be able to access your on-line account or be able to make calls using your Tesco Internet Phone. If you are a Talk Wi-fi user then you will no longer be able to make calls using the Talk Wi-fi application on your mobile phone.
Tesco Telecoms, like Tesco.com, has learned the art of being outstandingly innovative for customers, and wanted to try this ‘unknown’ area to see if they could find a way of making it a commercial success by providing a simple, easy to use internet telephony service.
Tesco Internet Phone was launched at a time when making phone calls was rather more expensive than it is today. At the time, internet telephony was a somewhat ‘geeky’ experience mired in complexity and not friendly to non computer-savvy users. Tesco’s entrance into this area was considered to add a sense of credibility to the industry as well as being simple to install and use.
However, Tesco Internet Phone’s arrival also woke up many telephony providers to review their offerings and pricing, and the result has been that the main reason for customer’s choosing our service has ebbed.
In addition, many internet telephony providers now offer a whole host of value added services. Look at Skype with its many innovations such as Skype-To-Go where you can apply for one or more free dial-in numbers in cities around the world and use Skype to forward your local call to an international destination at rock bottom prices. Skype continues to lead the world of consumer-based internet telephony through investment and innovation and has my total respect.
Tesco Telecoms’ decision to close their service is partly an acknowledgment that internet telephony has moved on from their offering, and that they can concentrate their resources on their other products such as their award-winning Tesco Mobile service.
If you are affected by the pending service closure, please read through details about this service by accessing the Help section of the Tesco Internet Phone site.