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Ooma intros Telo Air wireless adapter, liberates Bluetooth solution to the masses

Zachary Lutz
Updated ·4 min read

Heads up, Ooma fans: the equipment that you know and love for free local and long distance calls is now more flexible than ever, thanks to the Telo Air wireless adapter, which adds WiFi capabilities to the Ooma Telo. While the system previously relied on an Ethernet connection for quality calls, the adaptive redundancy of this $50 add-on is said to overcome any performance degradation that you might otherwise experience. Additionally, the Bluetooth adapter -- once available only to Premiere subscribers -- is now available for $30 to anyone who wishes to integrate their mobile phone or wireless headset with Ooma. Of course, you'll need to remain within 30 feet of the Telo (due to Bluetooth's technical limitation), but if you're undeterred by the short leash, it could be a fine alternative to the company's handset. The Bluetooth adapter is available today, and the Telo Air is expected to ship on October 1st. If you're looking to ditch the local telco and save some coin, you'll find the full PR after the break.

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OOMA FREE HOME PHONE SERVICE CUTS THE CORD WITH NEW WIRELESS OFFERINGS

New Ooma Telo Air Can be Placed Anywhere in Range of Wireless Home Network

Ooma Telo Integrates Mobile and Home Phone Experience:
Bluetooth Service Now Available to All Ooma Customers

PALO ALTO, Calif. - September 15, 2011 - Ooma, Inc., the leading provider of HD-quality free home phone service, today announced that it is extending even more freedom and flexibility to its customers with new wireless offerings.

With the first-of-kind introduction of the new Ooma Telo Air wireless adapter, the Ooma Telo can now be placed anywhere in the home within range of a Wi-Fi network. The company also announced that it is extending the availability of its Ooma Bluetooth service to all Ooma Telo subscribers to broaden the integration of mobile phones and Ooma home phone systems. Ooma Bluetooth service was previously only available to Ooma Premier service subscribers.

Ooma's first-to-market support for home Wi-Fi VoIP connectivity is made possible by Ooma's PureVoice™ HD technology with advanced voice compression and adaptive redundancy to overcome any signal degradation within the wireless network. More information on Ooma PureVoice HD technology is available at www.ooma.com/products/ooma-purevoice.

By using the new wireless adapter to untether the Ooma Telo from the modem or router, customers have more convenient access to their cordless phone base station, voicemail messages and other advanced features that Ooma offers. They also have the option of using the Ooma Telo as a wireless bridge for laptops and other devices throughout the home. Ooma is delivering broad home coverage and a high-quality calling experience using the latest 802.11n wireless standard combined with Ooma PureVoice HD technology, which delivers crystal-clear call quality and up to twice the fidelity of standard phone calls for a richer, more natural sounding conversation.

"The ability to place the Ooma Telo anywhere in the home without being tied to the office or wiring closet is one of the top requests that our customers have asked of us," said Jim Gustke, Vice President of Marketing at Ooma. "Ooma is uniquely positioned to provide the flexibility of wireless connectivity because, unlike other VoIP offerings, the Ooma Telo is a full router packed with processing power. With this kind of convenience, we anticipate strong demand for the new Ooma Telo Air from both new and existing customers."

By adding an Ooma Bluetooth adapter to the Ooma Telo, customers gain the convenience of answering mobile phone calls on any home phone without worry of poor reception or dropped calls. It provides transmission range of up to 30 feet and supports up to seven Bluetooth devices.

Further integrating the mobile and home phone experience, Ooma also offers the Ooma Mobile HD App for Android and Apple mobile devices so customers can save money on domestic and international calls by tapping their Ooma account on the go over any Wi-Fi or 3G network.

Pricing
the Ooma Telo Air wireless adapter is available for $49.99. The Ooma Bluetooth Adapter is available for $29.99.

Ooma Premier is an optional level of service offering a suite of more than 25 advanced telephony services, including the new 911 Notification feature, and costs $9.99 per month. New customers signing-up for one-year of Ooma Premier service receive their choice of a free number port, Ooma Telo Handset, Ooma Bluetooth adapter or extended warranty.

Availability
The Ooma Telo Air and Bluetooth adapters are immediately available for purchase online at www.ooma.com, and soon at other leading retailers. The Ooma Telo is available at Ooma authorized resellers including: Best Buy, Costco, Fry's Electronics, J&R, and leading online destinations including Amazon, BestBuy.com, Costco.com, Dell.com, JandR.com, NewEgg.com, OfficeDepot.com, PC Mall, Provantage, Shop Harmony, Staples.com, Sears.com, K-Mart.com, Target.com, Tiger Direct, B&H Photo and Walmart.com.