VoIP News: November 2009

The reliability of next-generation broadband services could have more of an impact than the top connection speeds they offer, according to the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG). According to Antony Walker, chief executive at the BSG, the recession has prompted consumers to ask for greater value from their broadband services, as well as seeking faster connection speeds. Having next-generation broadband could enable businesses to communicate cheaply by using technology such as VoIP hardware.

The rate at which next-generation broadband networks are established throughout the UK will depend on users themselves, internet service providers (ISPs) and the government, says Ofcom. According to the broadband industry regulator, next-generation broadband could have a major impact on the services available to consumers in their everyday lives, while also delivering great benefits for the economy. Stuart McIntosh, partner for competition at Ofcom, said that because the technology remains young a range of "uncertainties" will affect the way in which it is regulated, but the organisation will do what it can to encourage investment.

There was a rise of 2. 1 per cent in the number of e-commerce sales in 2008 compared to the previous year as the information and communications technology sector grew, says a new report. According to the government report, the value of e-commerce sales between 2007 and 2008 increased by nearly 37 per cent, while half a million additional businesspeople had access to the internet at work in 2008 than in the previous year.

In a bid to increase the amount of revenue available for the development of high-speed broadband services, many homes could be charged multiple phone line taxes. The government recently announced plans to impose a £6-a-year tax on all homes with a phone line before next year's general election to raise money to develop next-generation broadband networks throughout the UK. However, a leaked government memo suggests homes with multiple phone lines may be charged a separate tax for each line, meaning nearly two million homeowners could be asked to pay over £20 a year with VAT, reports the Times.

The development of next-generation broadband networks throughout the UK is reliant on a substantial demand from consumers, says an expert panel. According to the Communications Consumer Panel, there has to be a clear idea of what high-speed broadband services will be specifically used for, while the issue of how to fund the new networks remains. Many businesses already use software that needs connection speeds much higher than two megabits per second to run effectively, while VoIP solutions could operate better with faster services.