Business Phone Calls And Broadband Expected To Drive Growth In Voip Service
The number of VoIP users in the UK has reached nearly three million, according to new research. Subscriptions rose by 15 per cent in the first three quarters of 2009, and stood at 2.95million by the end of that period, the research by In-Stat found.
And worldwide, the number of subscribers is estimated to reach 288 million in the next three years. Mobile VoiP applications are expected to generate revenues of US$35.2million (GBP 23.4million) in the same period, the team behind the findings estimates.
The near-term opportunity for mobile VoIP is closely linked with the growing success of dual-mode phones and other Wi-Fi connected devices, according to Frank Dickson, In-Stat analyst. But he also believes that its development could be held back if operators see it as a direct threat to their revenue from voice services.
The number of Wi-Fi and dual-mode handsets in use throughout the world by 2013 is expected to reach 400 million, the technology-focused market research company believes.
As a result, some industry observers believe that VoiP will eventually become the standard means of transmitting voice calls. It could also help bring down the price of mobile phone calls, thanks to the falling prices of data transmission. With many calls between VoiP phones free of charge, its benefits in bringing down the cost of business phone calls are already well recognised.
Of the new converts to VoiP, the vast majority are expected to be business users in the Asia Pacific region.
Market growth in the United States, especially, is being seen to level off, with penetration expected to rise from 42 per cent at the end of 2009, to 79 per cent by 2013.
However, consumers are keen to latch onto the improved call quality which VoIP is offering, with many even switching to a 3G mobile phone from a landline to take advantage of both this and the cost savings available.
This rate of this growth is expected to rise as the continued falls in mobile data rates is reflected in the cost of mobile voice apps. Since the original VoiP service, Skype, was launched in 2003, new entrants have tried to capture a share of the market, including Google, with its Google Talk facility, and LogiTech, whose SightSpeed offering, which heavily promotes the quality of its sound and video transmissions, placing the ability to make cheap phone calls as a less important benefit.
And worldwide, the number of subscribers is estimated to reach 288 million in the next three years. Mobile VoiP applications are expected to generate revenues of US$35.2million (GBP 23.4million) in the same period, the team behind the findings estimates.
The near-term opportunity for mobile VoIP is closely linked with the growing success of dual-mode phones and other Wi-Fi connected devices, according to Frank Dickson, In-Stat analyst. But he also believes that its development could be held back if operators see it as a direct threat to their revenue from voice services.
The number of Wi-Fi and dual-mode handsets in use throughout the world by 2013 is expected to reach 400 million, the technology-focused market research company believes.
As a result, some industry observers believe that VoiP will eventually become the standard means of transmitting voice calls. It could also help bring down the price of mobile phone calls, thanks to the falling prices of data transmission. With many calls between VoiP phones free of charge, its benefits in bringing down the cost of business phone calls are already well recognised.
Of the new converts to VoiP, the vast majority are expected to be business users in the Asia Pacific region.
Market growth in the United States, especially, is being seen to level off, with penetration expected to rise from 42 per cent at the end of 2009, to 79 per cent by 2013.
However, consumers are keen to latch onto the improved call quality which VoIP is offering, with many even switching to a 3G mobile phone from a landline to take advantage of both this and the cost savings available.
This rate of this growth is expected to rise as the continued falls in mobile data rates is reflected in the cost of mobile voice apps. Since the original VoiP service, Skype, was launched in 2003, new entrants have tried to capture a share of the market, including Google, with its Google Talk facility, and LogiTech, whose SightSpeed offering, which heavily promotes the quality of its sound and video transmissions, placing the ability to make cheap phone calls as a less important benefit.
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