BT turns on Fusion power
It's been several years in gestation, but BT's 'project bluephone' is finally about to become reality as BT Fusion. So how the hell does this mobile-that-connects-via-broadband work?
BT Fusion, the world’s first “combined fixed and mobile service”, has already reeled in over 9,000 registrations. That’s a thousand more people than the village of Dinnington.
Those who’ve signed up are in for a mobile and landline phone treat when the service launches in September.
After signing up to a £10 or £15 per month one year contract, BT Fusion will give you a Motorola V560 clamshell (pictured) and a Wi-Fi-plus-Bluetooth router for free. When you’re out and about, the Moto will connect to BT Mobile’s network (which piggybacks on Vodafone). At home, the mobile will automatically route calls through the router with Bluetooth.
So, instead of paying mobile phone rates at home, you pay landline rates. BT’s landline rates are fairly moderate, but BT Mobile’s tariff isn’t spectacularly competitive. To use the service, you need to have a BT broadband connection (£18 a month) and a BT phone line (£10 a month).
Though the V560’s the first BT Fusion moby, BT tells us that it’ll be joined before Christmas by Motorola’s lovely RAZR V3 (number one in our Top 10s). Once the service is live, you’ll be able to use up to three phones simultaneously over broadband, and have a total of six paired at any one time.
Stuff’s going to give the service the once-over shortly, so we’ll be delivering our verdict in the magazine ASAP. The only bummer we can see for now is that the router’s only 802.11b, not faster 802.11g.
Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
