Based on a report issued by Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), Internet telephony solutions provider Telappliant said that the users of mobile voice over IP (VoIP) solutions will grow rapidly in next few years as public Wi-Fi hotspots continue to surge around the world. In fact, WBA issued this report following a study conducted by analyst firm Informa (News - Alert) Telecoms and Media that shows a boom in Internet connections is expected to occur in next few years.
According to WBA, the research firm Informa surveyed around 259 international providers and vendors of Wi-Fi. The study found that the current total of 1.3 million public Wi-Fi hotspots is set to grow and is forecasted to hit 5.8 million by 2015, a rise of 350 percent.
Telappliant said that these public connection points are not the only connections for mobile VoIP solutions users, there are also another 4.5 million community hotspots that provide links to the Web, according to Informa’s study.
In a statement, Chris Bruce, chairman of the WBA and chief executive officer of BT (News - Alert) Openzone, stated, "The findings show we are about to enter the golden age of public Wi-Fi with hotspot deployments set to soar.” He added, "Fixed operators are extending broadband services beyond the home and office and Wi-Fi is supporting busy mobile broadband networks."
Additionally, the study predicts that Asia is set to witness particular growth in connections, with China Mobile alone planning to create some one million public Wi-Fi points, while KDDI (News - Alert) of Japan will increase its number from 10,000 to 100,000 in the next six months. Such expansion of the sector is sure to make it easier for businesses and individuals to access mobile VoIP solutions on-the-go, Telappliant said.
Another market research firm Visiongain (News - Alert) recently predicted that mobile VoIP is set to grow in popularity around the world in next few years. Visiongain expects about 180 million users of mobile VoIP technology to generate annual revenue of $36 billion by 2016.
Ashok Bindra is a veteran writer and editor with more than 25 years of editorial experience covering RF/wireless technologies, semiconductors and power electronics. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by Jamie Epstein