Re: [Linux-aus] Hello everyone! and Grant Request

[Mark Tearle <mtearle@linux.org.au>]

On Sun, 3 Jul 2005, Tim Ansell wrote:

> > > > FXS devices are still very expensive however (the cheapest being around
> > > > $AUS 70 per line). A FXS line is required for every internal phone, so
> > > > while it Asterisk might be able to get away with a small number of FXO
> > > > lines it needs numerous FXS lines.
> >
> > Is $70 per line really that expensive? If so, what price is affordable?
>
> Yes, I believe that $70 per line is out of the reach of small businesses
> and home offices.

Even with FXS lines you've forgotten to include the on-costs of handsets
(around $70 each for workable quality ones)

Compare that with the cost of a SIP handset such as the Budgetone at 
around $140 and FXS isn't really such a great solution for a single
line.

> I would like at least 6 lines for my house,
> * My room
> * Parents room
> * Sisters room
> * The home office
> * Dads shed down
>
> This would cost me $420 just to setup the phone interface. I would then
> have the extra costs for the Asterisk box, cable runs, etc. Then if I
> was a company I would most probably have support costs.

What about Softphones?

> > What price would it cost you to manufacture your FXS and in what quantities?
>
> So far the eight line interface should cost under $US 100 for an 8 line
> device to be build by hand.
>
> > Can we just go to the manufacturer that sells at $70 per line model and
> > put in a group order for 1000 units and see what discount we get?
>
> Can you get it down to $US 12 per line? I worked at a place which was
> looking to do VOIP stuff, the cheapest they could get was $AUS 45 per
> line.
>
> > > *snip*

Mark
--
Mark Tearle - mtearle@linux.org.au