3Com enters the ring with a VoIP phone
updated 12:45 pm EDT, Mon August 14, 2006
3Com VoIP Phone
For many of us, the 3Com name is inseparable from networking equipment. They rarely come to mind for hardware outside of computer cases and server rooms. The company is clearly eager to branch out to the more public (and rapidly expanding) market of VoIP phones. As exposed by the FCC, the 3Com 3108 is a pseudo-cellphone that relies on an 802.11b/g WiFi connection to handle calls, regardless of whether the other participant is on a conventional phone or not. Not much else is known about the phone: we do know that it will have a 1.8-inch screen, e-mail, and wireless firmware updates. Its range is limited to between 20 and 50 meters from the WiFi access point, but this may make it an ideal home phone for people used to both cellphones and VoIP services such as Skype.
