VoIP and 3G to revolutionise telecoms

IP telephony solutions and 3G have the promise to transform telecommunications, Wi5 has said.

VoIP phones and third-generation mobile telecommunications are "exciting technologies" that "have a potential for game-changing," according to the wireless broadband service.

Shivkumar Jagannath, chief technology officer (CTO) at Wi5, told daily Indian business newspaper the Hindu Business Line that "it is widely believed that local calls can be free with VoIP".

However, while newer VoIP technologies have seen the cost of long distance calls drop by up to 90 per cent, this means widespread availability of such services would not be welcomed.

"Most countries tend to treat VoIP as a threat rather than an opportunity," Mr Jagannath said, explaining that it is "incorrectly" believed that freely available VoIP will damage established telephone companies.

He pointed out that US VoIP providers currently have only a fraction of the user base that traditional telephone and mobile service counterparts possess.

Mr Jagannath added that operators will increasingly use 3G to deliver data and video to entice users due to a decline in returns from standalone voice services.

The likes of Wi-Max and LTE could eventually see high-definition mobile VoIP solutions supersede traditional mobile voice services, PCWorld said recently.