How Big Will VoIP Get?
One of the most important developments in the telecoms industry in recent years has been the development of mobile VoIP technology. Although still relatively early days for the mobile Voice over IP operators such as Truphone, it certainly seems they have the potential to to make some big waves in the industry. Some of the recent incumbent mobile operators’ actions seem evidence of this with T-Mobile recently being forced to allow the use of Truphone over its network, having previously not allowed calls to Truphone alloted numbers.
While some people claim that as VoIP prices tend towards zero, this is making it a very hard industry to make any substantial profit in; the increasing prevalence of cut cost high speed broadband and has resulted in a huge surge in the availability of free Wi-Fi. Consequently this is making mobile VoIP operators an increasingly attractive offer for consumers. The trend in the availability of new ’smart phones’ with the ability to run mobile VoIP client software, at ever decreasing prices is also, it could be argued, creating a tipping point in the industry.
We have recently seen T-Mobile announce their Voice over IP service called @home giving customers the option of paying one low monthly flat rate. However whilst the industry is finding home owners reluctant to abandon their fixed phone line all together, mobile VoIP operators have no such issue to contend with. The seamless integration of mobile VoIP clients into the functionality of mobile phones, as well as the falling cost of data-inclusive price schemes has resulted in a predictably rapid growth in the mobile VoIP industry.
Currently it has been reported that there are 4 million VoIP users in the United Kingdom, and the growth looks set to continue. How established mobile phone operators will take advantage of this growth remains to be seen but the decision to force T Mobile to unblock calls to Truphone customers surely sends out a clear sign that rather than try and resist the mobile VoIP operators, the entranched industry monoliths must find a way of embracing them.
One stumbling block which may have an effect on the amount of subscribers of mobile VoIP is security, with many highly visible stories highlighting the problems in making calls using VoIP. Another problem to contend with is ‘VoIP phishing’ where people are convinced to part with their personal data of their own free will after taking the ‘bait’ from a thief. This is also indicative of other VoIP security issues where unscrupulous would be thieves can tamper with the caller ID making it seem as though they are calling from their own financial institutions. Once such issues have been addressed and fears allayed it is likely that mobile VoIP will become will become much more integral to peoples lives as people take the opportunity to turn their mobiles into VoIP phones.
