It seems that nothing can stop the meteoric rise of Internet telephony. Driven by increasingly widely available low cost broadband VoIP has become one of the fastest-growing applications on the Internet. But apart from cheap calls, there are other factors which have contributed to this massively popular method of making calls. There is clearly a trend toward more innovative and more mobile services and this looks likely to ensure that demand for Voice over IP continues to expand. It is estimated that there are already around four million VoIP users in the UK, excluding business subscriptions.
People in the industry point to the advent of ADSL broadband connections that do not require line rental for a standard phone line (naked ADSL), and number portability between conventional and IP phone services as the two key developments that will bring raise the profile of VoIP to new heights.
In fact the effect VoIP has had has been so pronounced that some have suggested that it may not be long before users can dispose of their traditional landline telephones completely in favour of a broadband phone.
Taking a more practical view, there are certain things that will need to be addressed before that can happen. In the United Kingdom Internet telephony providers like Vonage or VoIPTalk will have to scrutinise both security and ease of use, as well as continue to deliver a convenient and financially attractive service. They certainly offer cheap calls already but, what else do they need to do to ensure a prosperous future for VoIP?
As the Internet is a huge public space the VoIP traffic is no more immune from attack than any other data. Security is a concern for many users, particularly in the business community and the means to develop security for users would be a welcome step in securing the long-term future of VoIP.
The ease of use issue may not remain an obstacle to development now that handsets that work on mobile networks and, via WiFi or Bluetooth links, over VoIP are now taking their place in the shops. This raises the prospect of using low-cost VoIP services at home, in the office or at a WiFi hotspot, but still retaining the flexibility of mobile coverage when out and about.
Some VoIP providers are now selling these handsets, and have set up joint arrangements with wireless hotspots so that their customers can make and receive calls when out and about without the need for a PC.
Expect to see some of the restrictions of such handsets i.e. difficulties in hotspots that use web pages for authentication to be addressed imminently.
The advance of newer networking technologies will further reduce the gap between fixed, mobile and VoIP services. Wireless broadband services, in particular WiMax, could create city-wide wireless hotspots, making it possible to make mobile VoIP calls in much wider areas.
