VoIP News: February 2009

Broadband customers should make the most of cheap deals while they can as internet service providers (ISPs) will likely increase tariffs soon, new research claims. Reports produced by Omnitele and Strand Consult have indicated that the costs of network roll-out projects for mobilebroadband providers will make their business models less profitable. This means that providers may look for ways to recoup their costs by levying new charges or introducing additional premium services.

Broadband provides, telecoms regulators and the government must cooperate effectively in order to advance high-speed internet growth in the UK, a leading expert claims. Negotiations are currently underway between key stakeholders in regards to the role mobile providers can play in the recently unveiled universal broadband obligation. Communications minister Lord Carter has requested that Vodafone and O2 free up a portion of 900MHz spectrum so that other providers can use it to offer broadband services.

Despite the well documented cost-cutting and operational benefits of VoIP, many companies are still yet to introduce the technology, it has been claimed. Michelle Robart, editor of leading technology website TMC, has said that many businesses remain unsure about introducing unified communications. Ms Robart explained that popularly cited reasons for this include fears about implementation costs, as well as issues pertaining to quality and possible network security risks.

The vast majority of internet connections in the UK are now high-speed broadband, new research claims. Figures released for the fourth quarter last year by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that 19 out of 20 UK internet lines are via broadband. ONS figures indicated that broadband accounted for 95.

The European Union has launched a wide-ranging investigation into the potential for monitoring criminal activity over VoIP networks, it has emerged. Italy is leading the European Union's Judicial Cooperation Unit, or Eurojust, which will analyse how arms and drug traffickers are using internet telephony. Eurojust believes that organised criminal organisations are benefitting from using VoIP instead of more easily monitored fixed or mobile communicationsCarmen Manfredda, Eurojust's acting national member for Italy, said: "The possibility of intercepting internet telephony will be an essential tool in the fight against international organised crime within Europe and beyond.