Cheap mobile broadband could boost VoIP UK traffic

Use of mobileIP telephony solutions in the UK could be boosted after it was reported that it is one of the cheapest countries in the world for mobile broadband.

The UK, France and India have among the world's lowest prices for mobile broadband plans, according to figures published by ABI Research, a technology market research company.

The low-cost of mobile broadband access in the UK could make it cheaper to make telephone calls using VoIP solutions via netbooks, tablet computers, smartphones and other mobile internet devices.

However, according to Bhavya Khanna, analyst at ABI Research, widespread use of data dongles in developed markets has "created strains on mobile networks".

This could see "data plans change to throttle data consumption", with operators in some countries already limiting data to 5GB or 3GB per month, even for their most expensive plans.

Jake Saunders, vice president of forecasting at ABI Research, added that overage charges for data plans are confusing consumers and that operators should simplify overage costs and educate customers to "encourage uptake of such services".

Applications such as VoIP phones are increasingly powering the growth of the mobile broadband market, Allot Communications said earlier in the year.