NI broadband revolution good news for VoIP solutions

VoIP solutions in Northern Ireland could be set to profit the growth of broadband in the country.

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has revealed that 70 per cent of households in Northern Ireland now have access to broadband, an increase of six per cent compared to last year.

The expansion of broadband could improve the standard of IP telephony solutions as faster download speeds can handle more voice data and boost audio quality.

Only a quarter of homes in the country had a broadband connection in 2005, but this year's figures are almost equivalent to the UK average of 71 per cent.

Surprisingly, 72 per cent of rural households have access to the technology while only 69 per cent of urban homes have a broadband line.

Wallace Ewart, the chair of Ofcom's advisory committee for Northern Ireland, claimed the research, which looks at all areas of communication, was positive.

He said: "This report provides a valuable insight into communication trends in Northern Ireland and, on the whole, the findings are positive."