The rise in voice over internet protocol (VoIP) software has caused mobile network providers to begin heavily slashing their international roaming rates, according to an industry analyst.
Products such as Google Voice and Skype are also fuelling the rise, as they begin to bring the technologies associated with VoIP into mainstream life, suggested data networking and telecom consultancy firm Infonetics Research.
The VoIP market has definitely matured and has become a highly reliable service in most deployments, particularly in fixed-line communications. The mobile side of VoIP is really just beginning to blossom and, while it is far from mainstream, it is definitely growing in options and innovative offerings.'
According to recent reports, the current average roaming rates of UK providers are 94p per minute for receiving calls and £1.17 per minute for making them.
January 2010
|
|
Beginning this March, U.K. consumers will be able to turn to O2 as an alternative wireline phone service provider. The former wireless arm of BT will now go up against its former parent with two wireline voice offerings: 'Evening and Weekend' and 'Anytime.'
As its name implies, the $15.45 a month 'Evening & Weekend' package will allow consumers to make unlimited calls to UK homes on evenings and weekends, while the 'Anytime' package offers unlimited calls to UK homes and 20 other countries for a little over $20 per month. Existing O2 mobile voice subscribers can bundle either the 'Standard' or the 'Evening & Weekend' plan for about $28 a month.
"This is the most important launch for us in the home space since we entered the broadband market and is part of our strategy to evolve beyond mobile to a leading connectivity brand," said Sally Cowdry, O2 UK's marketing director in a release.
The launch of the wireline voice service is not just about voice alone. O2 believes the launch of the voice service will enable it to reach its one million wireline broadband subscriber goal by the end of this year. As of the end of September 2009, TeleGeography's GlobalComms Database reported that O2 UK had 527,100 broadband customers.
January 2010
|
|