Labour web plans could boost VoIP traffic

Widespread adoption of IP telephony solutions in the UK could be made possible due to new government internet infrastructure plans.

Gordon Brown has announced plans for Labour to provide every UK household with access to super-fast broadband, it has been widely reported.

The availability of high-speed internet countrywide would provide the bandwidth and reliability required to make VoIP phones a viable option for much of the population.

In a speech, the prime minister described super-fast broadband access as "the electricity of the digital age" and said that it "must be for all - not just for some".

Mr Brown outlined plans for Britain to be "the world leader in the digital economy" by 2020, but a date for getting high-speed internet to every household was not set.

The Conservatives said that they have already announced similar plans and criticised Labour's intention to fund next-generation broadband infrastructure with a six pounds a year landline tax.

VoIP phones play a part in fuelling the clamour for broadband access, and access to broadband makes it possible to use VoIP phones, Allied Fiber said last month.

The long-haul dark fibre provider described VoIP solutions and broadband as being "inextricably connected", with one feeding off the other.