Susan Gordon, Business Reporter

Errol Miller, vice-president of corporate communications and corporate affairs at Cable and Wireless Jamaica. - File

Cable and Wireless Jamaica Limited (C&WJ) is making another attempt to revive its fixed-line product, Homefone, but this time, the telecom is using its mobile GSM network to offer the service to new customers.

The mobile player, which stopped taking new subscribers to its pre-paid Homefone system in July 2007, started reoffering the service under the brand 'Homefone Xpress' last month, but in post-paid format.

Meeting customers' needs

"The solution is geared towards meeting the needs of consumers who want regular Homefone service in areas that have no fixed-line infrastructure but have adequate GSM coverage," said Errol Miller, C&WJ vice-president for corporate communications and corporate affairs.

Miller, however, refused to say how much was invested in the relaunched product.

The service is restricted, for now, to customers in rural St Catherine, Clarendon and St Elizabeth.

"We have deliberately adopted a strategy of selective availability, because we have no intention of compromising on the quality of service we deliver to our existing mobile customers or our Homefone Xpress customers," said Miller.

"We do not anticipate an impact on the service we deliver to our mobile customers because we are only making it available in areas where our mobile network can accommodate additional traffic".

Unlike the cable-run land phones, customers who apply for the service can be instantly provisioned, according to Miller.

He adds that although the service is delivered via a wireless network, it is considered 'fixed' because the handsets, which are provided for subscribers, are programmed to lock to four cell sites within the vicinity of the location where the customer will use the phone.

Call rates

Miller shied away from commenting on whether Homefone Xpress would be pushed by the company over the cable-phone service, saying the company would use any technology available in the future to roll out services.

Customers will have to pay a deposit of J$1,800 to sign up for the Homefone Xpress service and a one-off J$2,500 for the handset.

There is also a monthly access fee of $700.

Miller said the call rates are comparable to its existing cable Homefone service.

Calls from a C&WJ fixed line to another cost 99 cents, on- or off-peak hours, while calls from C&WJ fixed lines to bmobile, are $7 per minute.

Calls from the C&WJ fixed line to other fixed lines such as GoTel and Flow are $3.00 per minute, but $4.50 to Digicel fixed phones.

Customers will pay $10 to make calls from their new Homefone Xpress to Digicel and MiPhone mobile phones, and $15.75 per minute to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and the rest of world, but $66 per minute to Cuba.

susan.gordon@gleanerjm.com