VoIP News: August 2009

A growth in the number of people using next-generation broadband connections could deliver environmental benefits, according to a report on earth2tech. com. Virtual goods could become more popular as an increasing number of people seek better prices by shopping online and these products could be more environmentally-friendly to produce as they lack a physical form.

For the second consecutive year, Ofcom, the UK broadband regulator, has accredited internet comparison website BroadbandChoices. co. uk.

Around 60 per cent of people in Scotland have access to the internet, while 90 per cent of homes in wealthier regions of the country have broadband services. Nationwide, however, the figures from the Scottish Household Survey fall and although six out of ten households have internet access, less than 55 per cent of these have a broadband connection, reports Cable. co.

People setting out to buy a new computer like shop assistants to have a good knowledge of the subject and to offer good after-sale service, a new study reveals. Which? Computing recommended that consumers steer away from the larger computer retailers and aim for other stores like John Lewis if they planned to buy a new computer to surf the internet and use VoIP hardware. Jaclyn Clarabut, assistant editor of Which? Computing, said some stores that have not traditionally specialised in computers or IT are offering better service than the established technology retailers as they increase their investment in the sector.

Innsbruck in Austria has hosted the first test in the world of multi-user broadband services with mobility on a Next Generation Mobile Network using Long-Term Evolution technology. Network T-Mobile has been operating the test since July and it encompasses 60 radio cells, with the company focussing on the quality of the available service as well as the technology itself, reports Cellular-News. The technology could be used to provide faster broadband connection speeds, while also facilitating greater use of VoIP hardware.