Google is planning to roll out the next evolution in landlines, the Fiber Phone and a related subscription service at $10 per month (around INR 660). The service will offer unlimited local and national calls as well as international rates at par with Google Voice, which works out to Rs 0.6 per minute to India for example. In many ways, Fiber Phone brings mobile phone functionality to your landline. You get to keep your existing number, the service will provide you with spam filters, call-blocking, do-not-disturb and more. If that wasn’t enough, Google will apparently transcribe your voicemail for you and text or email the transcriptions to you directly.
Loaded with several features, what seems to be the cherry on the cake is the power of the Cloud which has also been in included with the offer. If you get a call on your landline, you can answer it on your mobile, tablet or even laptop. The number stays with you wherever you go. Whether it’s calling mom or ordering take-out, we rely on our phones to help reach the people and things that matter. And while mobile phones have pushed us toward the future, home phone service is still important to many families,” Says Google.
These features could very well mean the revival of the landline phone system which has all but disappeared in a few countries. India too is on its way to shun landlines and embrace mobile telephony in a large scale, with people all over the country giving up their subscriptions and opting for a cellular device. The Google Fiber Phone is all set to offer the benefits of a fixed line with the convenience of smart phones. The only unfortunate part of this development is that it isn’t coming to India anytime soon.