The Next Decade in VoIP: Growth Ahead

If it became necessary to summarize the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) market in one word, a good one might be “growing.” A recent report from Future Market Insights underscores this point, and shows us where this market is set to go in the period between 2015 and 2025.

In just 2012, the corporate consumer segment registered 98.9 billion subscribers, representing around $43.27 billion worth of the total global market for VoIP services. These numbers are expected to grow substantially, with subscriber counts more than doubling to 204.8 billion by 2020, reaching a combined revenue of $86.2 billion, nearly doubling the revenue count as well.  Computer to computer services, meanwhile, are also set for growth, with 2012's figures coming in at 57.4 million subscribers and $20.74 billion in revenue. By 2019, that jumps to 72.2 million subscribers generating $24.74 billion in revenue, somewhat modest revenue growth against substantial subscriber count gains.

The phone to phone market, meanwhile, started 2012 at 35.9 million subscribers pulling $15.88 billion in revenue, and by 2019, those gains would spiral upward to 116.5 million subscribers and $44.78 billion in revenue, more than tripling subscriber counts and almost tripling revenues.

Technological changes are the biggest driver of services here, as not only do we see new options come available in the VoIP space, but we also see new platforms for VoIP to run on. While VoIP formerly was big on code-division multiplex access (CDMA) and global system for mobile (GSM) operations, recent developments have brought VoIP to 3G and 4G, even 4G LTE, as well. Though there are still likely some hurdles to come with VoIP, like low public acceptance, even these may be overcome as individual users realize the benefits of ultra-cheap, and sometimes free, long distance or even international calling. As more users become involved in a mobile workforce, tools to facilitate this process will be valuable.

The upcoming commercial launch of 5G mobile coverage should likewise play a role here, if for no other reason that it will make more bandwidth available to more users. There are still plenty of untapped markets out there when it comes to potential VoIP users, and if 5G delivers on early promises of “fiber without the fiber,” then it may well be the bandwidth of choice to offer not only Internet access nearly everywhere but also VoIP access. A proper network has long been wanting when it comes to VoIP, so boosting the network should help advance this even further.

It's looking like a great time to be in VoIP to come, with greater acceptance and use to come. It may not work out this way in the end, but there's still a lot of exciting new developments ahead.

Edited by Maurice Nagle