Mobile VoIP Might Change the Mobile World

A recent report published by In-Stat shows that mobile VoIP is expected to change the mobile landscape during the following years, although wireless carriers see it as a direct threat to their revenues. According to the research firm, mobile VoIP, which was used at the beginning as a means of making inexpensive international calls, is getting ready to move beyond that, as a series of applications that use the technology will emerge on the market.

The research firm also states that mobile VoIP applications are expected to generate annual revenues of $32.2 billion by 2013, and that more than 278 million registered users will use them all around the world. Operator voice revenue still sees VoIP as a threat, yet the applications that it allows to be created should bring revenues from other areas.

In-Stat also provides a few examples of different types of applications that could make use of VoIP. While one scenario points towards an app that “integrates mobile VoIP into a unified mobile interface to social networking sites,” another one suggests that carriers would use the technology to add voice to data offerings or to offer enhanced indoor coverage.

“Applications such as Skype and Vonage have influenced users to think of voice as a data application,” says Frank Dickson, In-Stat analyst. “The increasing penetration of Wi-Fi in mobile devices was the beach head that Mobile VoIP applications needed. As user habits are being shaped by rich on-line communication experiences, mobile carriers control over devices and data applications is waning. Mobile carrier attempts to slow the spread of on-line Mobile VoIP are proving challenging as well.”

The report from In-Stat further shows that mobile VoIP is also expected to influence LTE operator voice plans so as to favor IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem). At the same time, Asia Pacific is predicted to take the lead on the mobile VoIP related revenue area by 2013, the research firm states, adding that dual-mode phones should top around 400 million units shipped by the same year. More details on the report can be found on the firm's website.