The Future of VoIP
The future of telephony - driven in no small measure by VoIP - will be cheaper, more feature rich and more mobile.
Already, phones are coming to market that work on mobile networks and, through a WiFi link, over VoIP. 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.
Newer networking technologies stand to further narrow 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.
WiMax will also give service providers a way of bringing very high speed Internet connections to homes and offices without the need for expensive wiring. Subscribers could opt for broadband connections over WiMax and remove their fixed lines altogether, using VoIP instead.
Developments in the fixed-line world will also benefit VoIP. Higher-speed DSL connections, such as ADSL 2 and VDS, as well as FTH (Fibre To Home) will become increasingly common. This will improve the quality of VoIP calls, but it will also allow for new services, such as video calls, and - for business users especially - VoIP systems running alongside Instant Messaging and collaboration applications.