Internet Phone Service / VoIP is the New International Call Leader
What the Survey ShowsAccording to 2008 TeleGeography research, VoIP is extremely popular, especially in Western Europe. The company reported a 17% increase year over year between 2007 and 2008 in the number of consumers who now rely on Internet phone service / VoIP to initiate cross-border voice communications.
France is the country leading the way, with a 42% adoption rate in 2008. Spain is lagging behind, with only 2% increase in consumer implementation. By the end of this year, most countries are expected to show double digit gains in VoIP adoption, however.
Why VoIP is Gaining in Popularity
Traditional telephone service companies have long been losing revenue from long distance calls, particularly since the advent of the cellular or mobile phone. They are no longer contenders in the market; in fact very few consumers have reported using their land line to place cross-border calls.
The use of VoIP for international calls has skyrocketed mainly due to its extremely competitive pricing. After all, what business or consumer can afford to pay an exorbitant rate for voice communications when there are companies offering much lower pricing with the same reliability provided by traditional telephone companies? This relates to mere pennies a minute, as opposed to pounds.
Internet phone service / VoIP works with any type of device you might be calling. Your call may originate from your computer, but it can connect to a person on the other end who is still using a traditional handset, or a cell phone.
The Future of VoIP
Some governments have expressed concern that internet calls could be intercepted by terrorist organisations or other criminals. The United States has attempted to levy wiretapping rules, associated with land lines, on internet technology. European officials are coming on board to do the same thing.
The fact is, most internet phone service providers already have safeguards in place and many can emulate the ň€ślockdownň€ť security features of cell phones. The future of these regulation efforts remains to be seen.
The growth trend in internet phone service / VoIP is only expected to continue. More and more businesses are coming on board with the latest technology and lowest pricing available for voice communications. As with anything, the more common VoIP becomes, the cheaper the rates will become as well.