Wifi Revolution

One of many companies now working to deliver WiFi (News - Alert) Telephony for the masses, UK-based Truphone (a.k.a. Software Cellular Network Limited) recently introduced the beta version of its new VoIP software for WiFi-enabled, mass market mobile handsets.

The first download of the software is for Nokia’s (News - Alert) latest E-series handsets, with the N-series handsets to follow. The company also plans to support additional WiFi-enabled phones, including those built on the Windows Mobile platform.

VoIP calls between Truphone handsets are free worldwide, while calls to landlines and other mobile phones will be charged at characteristically low VoIP rates. For a limited time, users in the US will get free calls here and in Canada. Meanwhile, UK users will be able to call some two billion landlines in major countries for free.

Nokia E-series users seeking to use the service must send an SMS with the word “TRU” to a designated number. Provisioning takes place ‘over the air’ and, according to the company, the software installs itself “quickly and easily” on the handset.

The software integrates seamlessly with the phone’s the existing address book. Once set up to use a WiFi hotspot, the handset connects automatically next time the phone is in range. This “seamless handover” between networks is a critical feature because users do not want to be burdened with having to manually switch the phone over when entering a “hot spot.”

The company plans to add new features to the service over time, including support for Truphone SMS messaging, presence functionality, and, further out, geo-location and community-building.

The SIP-based software employs several leading-edge techniques, including the self-healing, small-footprint AMR codec to ensure optimal call quality even under less than optimal conditions. Plus, unlike other WiFi applications, it uses smart, low-level coding to minimize power consumption.

James Tagg, Truphone’s chief executive, proudly proclaimed in a press release that “free calling has arrived on mass-market handsets.”

Another player in the WiFi space which recently launched its own brand of WiFi Telephony is UK-based aql. The VoIP service and mobile messaging provider has also released software enabling Nokia E-series users to make free peer-to-peer WiFi calls over its mobile VoIP network. Following the release of its beta, it, too is ramping up to deliver mobile VoIP to other handsets. It is entirely possible that these two companies will end up becoming fierce competitors in the now-ripening WiFi Telephony arena.

Although it holds the promise of extremely inexpensive mobile calls for consumers, WiFi Telephony (a.k.a. VoWLAN) still faces many hurdles, not the least of which is finding the needed real estate to install base stations and antennae in order to establish a large coverage area. This is going to be particularly challenging in urban and suburban areas, where GSM network equipment has already eaten up a lot of the prime space. Besides its inherent range limitations, the cost of the equipment, power consumption and the effect of mobile VoIP calling on the Internet are all concerns which will need to be addressed.

WiFi Telephony is not to be confused with the more generic term, mobile VoIP, which includes other wireless network technologies such as EVDO rev A (which is synchronously high speed - both high speed up and down), HSDPA and WiMAX.

For more information, visit www.truphone.com.

--------

Patrick Barnard is Associate Editor for TMCnet and a columnist covering the telecom industry. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page.

Back to WiFi Revolution home