Graves On SOHO VoIP

The CATiq blog as a press release from RTX Telecom about the release of a new DECT/CATiq 2.0 USB dongle. The release states that the device is basically a DECT/CATiq base station with a USB interface. That makes it an easy way to add cordless telephony capability to devices that might not otherwise have such capabilities.

This also makes it an excellent tool for testing DECT/CATiq systems. Such a tool was used by the DeDected group that reported on the state of DECT encryption at the CCC event in December 2008. The hardware that they used in their experiments was not widely available outside of Europe, and has since been discountinued.

Back in September Aastra made a few announcements, starting with a new SIP/DECT cordless phone solution targeting the SMB market. Designated the MBU 400 this new system is starting to show up in vendors catalogs. I recently found it listed at .E4 Strategies where availability is given as “Early November.” Furthermore, the retail price is given as $299 for the base and one handset with additional handsets $189 each.

Being a curious sort I downloaded the brochure and the manuals and gave them a quick look. The system certainly appears to be built on a platform from Denmark’s RTX Telecom. This is not at all surprising as they are a leader in the DECT space and OEM for many popular brand names. Snom’s m3 is built on RTX technology as is the as yet unreleased Polycom IP200W.

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