Mobile modems could make VoIP traffic multiply

Adoption of IP telephony solutions could be boosted by the increased use of wireless and mobilebroadband last year.

Cellular and mobile broadband PC modem shipments grew by more than 55 per cent in 2009, ABI Research has said.

A total of 72 million modems, including USB, PC cards and wireless routers, were shipped last year, up from 46.4 million in 2008, according to the technology market research company.

The increasingly widespread use of mobile modems could encourage the use of VoIP phones, which use broadband services rather than landlines to make and receive telephone calls.

Jeff Orr, senior analyst at ABI Research, said that 2009 was a "good year" for cellular and mobile broadband modems despite the recession, with the USB modem continuing to "flourish".

The low-cost, flexibility and portability of USB modems are responsible for their popularity. PC cards are largely expected to have disappeared by 2013 due to the popularity of USB modems.

The use of mobile VoIP solutions could soar over the next five years due to the rapid and continued growth of mobile internet.

Mobile internet will be bigger than desktop internet in five years, Morgan Stanley was reported as saying by ReadWriteStart recently.