VoIP traffic could be boosted by robust bandwidth

The VoIP carrier community could be set to flourish as the world economy begins to recover from the global financial crisis.

International network operators weathered the recession surprisingly well, communications markets research company TeleGeography has said.

International bandwidth usage increased 60 per cent in 2009, in line with the past two years, and well ahead of the trend of 2002 to 2006, according to TeleGeography's analysis.

The news that internet use was unaffected by the recession indicates that it is becoming an indispensible utility, which could encourage VoIP traffic as users increasingly turn to online services.

Even mature markets, like Europe and the USA, have seen their capacity requirements rise at a compounded annual rate of more than 50 per cent since 2002.

Providers are keeping pace with this increasing demand by rapidly upgrading fibre-optic networks with additional wavelengths. Just under 70 per cent of European carriers plan on adding wavelengths in 2010.

VoIP solutions could become more advanced and better to use than ever if a new broadband platform comes to fruition.

CableLabs is looking into technology that could deliver downstream speeds of up to up to five gigabits per second, Multichannel News recently reported.