Verizon Wireless has launched Verizon Hub, a home VoIP service offering unlimited calls and some content in what appears to be a grab for the home market — and seems to compete against parent company Verizon (NYSE: VZ). In order to sign up for the service people will need a broadband connection (not necessarily from Verizon), a Verizon Wireless service (where the customers will be billed) and a Verizon Digital Voice plan. The digital voice plan offers unlimited calling to the US, Canada and US territories and unlimited messaging to and from Verizon Wireless phones, for $34.99 a month: It’s from Verizon Wireless and will appear on the wireless bill, and undercuts Verizon Freedom Unlimited plans by $5, although it’s not as cheap as Vonage. The hardware of the Hub costs $199 and is provided by OpenPeak (release) and uses a cordless phone — it’s not a femtocell, mobiles won’t use the Hub to connect. The Hub includes some content and phone services, such as visual voice mail (release), contacts and calendar. Calls can be managed by automatically rejecting anonymous calls and call forwarding to a number or to voice mail. The Chaperone service tracks peoples handsets on a map — intended for children, of course. The screen can also be used as a digital photo frame. T-Mobile also has a home VoIP service, a lot cheaper at $10 a month but with fewer services and no content.
The Hub is not connected to the World Wide Web, but it is connected to the internet and Verizon offers several content services (I don’t think anyone is surprised it’s a “walled garden”). Some of these services and content are extensions of what is available on Verizon Wireless, while some are new content partners which seem to imply new content for Verizon Wireless users. Content can’t be shared between the Hub and handsets.
— Verizon is putting its VZ Navigator on the Hub. The VZ Navigator gets its info from Nokia-owned NAVTEQ (NYSE: NVT) and will provide location searching, door-to-door driving instructions, Traffic.com JamCast (streaming, live traffic audio and video reports for local hotspots) and information can be sent from the Hub to the handset, so people don’t have to re-enter details after they’ve already checked it at home. (release)
— ON Networks will provide a bunch of original HD programming for the Hub, inlcuding Budget Health Nut, Golf Tips, Food Science, Stump the Chef and Zen Living. The title of the release says that ON will also provide content to Verizon Wireless, but how that will happen isn’t detailed. (release)
— Hearst Magazines Digital Media will provide six new videos a week on the Verizon Hub, starting with content from Good Housekeeping. Hearst already provides mobile content for Verizon Wireless and mobile video channels on V Cast, and this appears to be an extension of that relationship. (release)
— Time Inc will provide more than 50 short-form videos weekly to the Hub, from brands such as People.com, TIME.com, RealSimple.com, CNNMoney.com, InStyle.com, Health.com, and MyRecipes.com. Videos include “What You Missed over the Weekend”, a fast-paced look at celebrity news; personal finance videos from CNNMoney.com; “Dinner Tonight” videos featuring quick and easy recipe ideas from MyRecipes.com; and special feature stories from TIME.com. (release)
— HealthiNation will provide its catalogue of health and wellness videos to be viewed on the Hub, although no mention is made of the handsets. (release)
— Fandango will provide ticketing, showtimes and other movie-related content for the movie channel on Verizon Hub. (release)
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