Vyke - the UK-based provider of low-cost international calls over the internet (VoIP) which pioneered mobile internet telephony applications in Europe as early as 2005 - now expects to see explosive growth of mobile VoIP alongside the smartphone revolution and the growing trend for mobiles to replace landlines as the main method of making and receiving calls.
Citing findings from a new study on mobile VoIP by Infonetics Research Inc as well as new research by Ofcom, Vyke Chief Executive Tore I. Hellebo said: "All the indications are that with growing mobile internet connectivity through smartphones, more and more consumers and businesses are rapidly recognising the potential cost savings of mobile VoIP for their international calls and text messages."
According to the Infonetics Research study, the number of active mobile VoIP users worldwide has almost doubled over the last year to more than 91 million. This number is forecast by Infonetics to soar to over 400 million by the end of 2015, representing a third of all smartphone users by then.
The study shows that growth of mobile VoIP is currently fastest in Europe and North America, where there are large, installed bases of fixed-line VoIP users who are now migrating the service to their mobiles with the use of free, downloadable apps from providers like Vyke. The number of users in the EMEA region of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is currently estimated at over 38 million and expected to be almost 142 million by 2015 (see chart). Meanwhile mobile VoIP growth in Asia is rapidly gaining momentum and by 2015 there are expected to be as many active users in that part of the world as there are in the EMEA region.
Research by Ofcom earlier this year shows that VoIP is already actively used by tens of thousands of families in the UK who need an affordable way to stay in touch with relatives, friends and loved ones overseas. Nearly a quarter of UK households have access to a fixed-line VoIP service at home and more than three quarters of these households are regular users of VoIP. The same Ofcom research shows that for respondents in 46 per cent of households, mobile phones are now the main method of making and receiving calls. Even when they are at home, 40 per cent of respondents say they rely on their mobiles and most households own more than one mobile, with over a third owning three or more.
Already some three per cent of UK mobile users have migrated VoIP to their mobiles. This proportion doubles for mobile users aged between 16 and 34. Based on current trends, Vyke believes that up to a third of UK mobile owners could be VoIP users within the next few years.
At present free or low-cost mobile VoIP is offered almost exclusively by over-the-top providers rather than licensed network operators, who fear the potential loss of revenue generated by their comparatively more costly international calling and texting rates and roaming charges. Whilst Skype is the dominant provider of mobile VoIP worldwide, Vyke is among more than twenty other providers competing for a share of the market.
Despite the growing popularity of mobile VoIP, some network providers are trying to frustrate its development by putting limitations on its use. However, most European regulatory authorities discourage this. In the UK Ofcom issued a statement on 24 November calling for complete transparency by providers, including information at the point of sale 'on any specific services that are blocked, resulting in consumers being unable to run the services and applications of their choice'.
The revenue generated by over-the-top and network provided paid-for mobile VoIP is expected to grow to almost $2 billion (£1.3 billion) in the EMEA region by the end of 2015, according to an Infonetics Research breakdown for Vyke. This represents an average of around $15 (£10) per active user and reflects the large element of free communication as well as the low cost of VoIP-based calls and texts.
"The availability of cheaper VoIP services like ours is a welcome lifeline for countless families with loved ones in different parts of the world. Many small to medium-sized businesses trading across borders can also benefit from huge savings on their international calls because they too are increasingly reliant on mobiles."
According to Ofcom research last year, more than two thirds of the 95 billion minutes of business calls made in the UK originated on mobile phones and the trend is accelerating.
http://www.prlog.org/11747181-mobile-voip-set-for-explosive-growth.html