BT uses CSL Insurers’ Forum to announce nationwide IP voice target for customers by 2025
Every year, the CSL Insurers’ Forum is the place to be for big industry announcements and in-depth revelations. Held on Wednesday 15 November at the London offices of IFSEC and FIREX International’s organiser UBM, the 2017 gathering was the eleventh to be run by CSL and very much continued the trend with several industry heavy-hitters delivering detailed presentations. Andy Clutton, Editor of PSI Magazine, reports for The Paper.
First to the lectern following a welcome and introduction from host CSL’s Simon Banks was Ray Kay (head of M2M sales at Vodafone), who has presented at every one of the eleven Forums run to date. Kay revealed that Vodafone now has 59 million Internet of Things (IoT) connections globally, with 81% of adopters reporting that their IoT usage has in fact grown in the last year.
Furthermore, research among these early adopters has shown that no less than 67% report a return on investment from their IoT systems.
Kay went on to predict that the future of connectivity for Vodafone rests with narrow band technology.
Probably the biggest announcement of the day emanated from John Livermore of BT Consumer who revealed that BT plans to turn all of the UK into an IP model with digital voice for all customers by 2025. Livermore highlighted that, as increasing numbers of people only want broadband services, it makes sense to move the entire voice option over to IP.
From November next year, broadband will be offered with a voice service included and delivered over fibre and copper via the customer’s router. The service is currently named Single Order Generic Ethernet Access (or SoGEA for short).