VoIP News: August 2011

Broadband is something that an increasing number of UK households now have access to. That is according to the Office for National Statistics, which in its Internet Access - Households and Individuals, 2011 report indicated that 77 per cent of homes now have an internet connection, an improvement on 2010's figures of 73 per cent. It noted that just two per cent of these used a dial-up connection, stating that broadband has "now almost entirely replaced" it.

Broadband provision is something that the government and internet service providers (ISPs) should join together for, in order to improve the connectivity of the nation. That is according to product director for Broadbandchoices. co.

People in Herefordshire are being encouraged to join the fight to bring faster broadband to the county. According to the Hereford Times, university lecturer, scientist and broadcaster Toby Murcott is one of the first people to take on the voluntary position and believes changes could be useful for the whole region. "The benefits highspeed broadband will bring are immeasurable," he said, adding: "Elderly people living alone can be in regular video contact with family or friends, or could consult their doctors via a webcam.

Businesses located in Essex are missing out due to the "poor" broadband coverage in the area at present. That is according to chairman of the Essex Federation of Small Businesses Iain Wicks, who is quoted by the Chelmsford Weekly News as stating that a BBC Survey of 3G mobile broadband has indicated large areas of the region are without it. "There is an increasing reliance on mobile broadband access by customers and for businesses to be competitive they need to be able to rely on having good connections available," he said.

VoIP solutions represent the next phase in telephony, proving a reliable and efficient replacement for traditional telephone systems. That is the view of David Meintjes, managing director of Connection Telecom, who told IT News Africa that there are many benefits for businesses that switch from the standard technology and invest in VoIP hardware. "In recent years, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has proved itself a stable, quality successor to 'dumb' telephone systems, a technology that not only saves costs but also improves efficiency and enhances business processes," he stated.