Adoption of VoIP Expected to Increase: Reports Infonetics

Infonetics Research, a market research and consulting firm, recently published the latest results of its service provider survey, Global WiMAX (News - Alert) Service Strategy 2009-2011.

The results of the operator survey, which is a part of Infonetics’s WiMAX Continuous Research Service (CRS), indicated that by 2011 more than half of respondents had plans to offer VoIP over WiMAX services.

Among the operators surveyed 41 percent were from Asia Pacific, 36 percent were from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), 18 percent were from North America, and 5 percent were from Central and Latin America (CALA).

Mobile WiMAX is a good business opportunity to established mobile operators, Internet companies and wireline operators -- to provide high-speed mobile broadband data services. Despite this advantage, nearly 59 percent of survey respondents admitted that they have plans to offer VoIP over WiMAX services by next two years.

The report indicates that voice-over-WiMAX has brighter side and can be an additional high-value revenue stream for operators.

Richard Webb, directing analyst for WiMAX, microwave, and mobile devices, Infonetics Research (News - Alert) said, "Although WiMAX service strategies differ from operator to operator and from market to market, most operators are focused on the less capital-intensive fixed and nomadic WiMAX broadband services now to address underserved markets seeking 'wireless DSL,' and many have formalized plans to migrate to full mobility WiMAX over the next couple of years. VoIP, CPE and device subsidization, and an emphasis on pre-paid and ad-hoc pricing are also integral service components for many operators we interviewed."

Now, more and more GSM operators are entering the WiMAX market, in order to make use of their trusted consumer brand by offering basic broadband services, and WiMAX. WiMAX offers much higher spectral efficiency than WCDMA. So, in the coming days WiMAX will be embedded into many data, CE and voice services, PDA and smart phones.

In the coming future, entertainment services such as broadcast video, video-on-demand, VoIP, instant messaging, gaming and click- to- call will be key applications for WiMAX.

According to the report, the adoption of full mobility WiMAX services is growing. To implement this, operators must continue to deploy network infrastructure to ensure coverage to support mobility and roaming, and wait for the mobile device ecosystem to become more diverse and affordable for consumers, said the research firm.