Internet TVs could cause VoIP traffic increase

The emergence of internet-connected TVs could open up another channel through which to access IP telephony solutions.

ABI Research has said that 19 per cent of the flat-panel televisions to be shipped this year will have ethernet, rising to 46 per cent in 2013.

Increasing demand for connectivity means that TVs with an internet connection will "form a category poised for growth and evolution", according to the technology market research firm.

Michael Inouye, industry analyst at ABI Research, said that connected sets will include "new features" such as media guides or browsing, web browsing and integrated social and information-based data sets.

TV viewers could also use the web connectivity provided by these next-generation TVs to adopt VoIP solutions, which use the internet to make and receive telephone calls.

Internet-enabled television sets will also create new advertising and cross-marketing opportunities, in turn creating a new role for television manufacturers, ABI Research added.

The use of devices that allow access to VoIP phones is expected to increase by over 25 times by 2013, Cisco Systems said in March.

The company predicted that the number of devices connected to the internet will reach one trillion within three years, it was widely reported.