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Thanks to cheaper high-speed Internet access, the number of places where you can’t make a VoIP phone call is now shrinking. As the expansion of Internet voice services continues, VoIP service can be accessed in highly unusual locations like parks, on the a plane, at the beach, on a cruise ship – even from atop Mt. Everest.  

MyVOIPProvider recently put together a list of these specific examples to confirm just how much access to VoIP services has spread.

In 2012 for example, VoIP phone booths were installed across remote parts of Australia in a joint effort between Symbio (News - Alert) Networks and Australian Private Networks (APN). Symbio is a subsidiary of MyNetFone Group and is the owner and operator of Australia’s largest VoIP network. APN is the largest provider of satellite Internet service in Australia.

The booths were setup in remote locations including parts of the Northern Territory, Cape York Peninsula and the Kimberley. They run on solar power and satellite technology and allowed users to make standard calls at no charge. One of the major technical challenges that Symbio was able to overcome was the latency that comes with satellite phone calls.

According to MyNetFone Group’s 2012 annual report, 200 phone booths had been installed and over 200,000 phone calls were made using the service.

Hughes Network Systems (News - Alert), a provider of satellite broadband service based in Germantown, MD, also started providing VoIP telephony service in June. Through one of its divisions, Hughes is providing service to remote parts of Mexico. Telefonica (News - Alert) Spain and Telkom South Africa also use Hughes’ VoIP solution for remote locations in those countries.

In addition to these uses, the city of Santa Monica, Calif. has developed a program to provide free Internet hotspots throughout the city. It’s available in several city parks and is even available at the Santa Monica Pier. This means users can more easily make VoIP calls on their mobile devices and avoid high costs or cellular carrier minutes or even make long distance calls for a discounted rate.

With the proliferation of Wi-Fi and VoIP technology across the world, it’s becoming possible to use VoIP almost anywhere. Soon, what will be more unusual than all of the places where you can use mobile VoIP, will be the places where you can’t.