Mobile VoIP Usage Increasing in Large Volumes

With added smartphone penetration and an increasing number of products to choose from, mobile VoIP usage is seeing an uptick.

According to research data from In-Stat, the number of active mobile VoIP subscriber rates was set to triple over the last 12 months, increasing from 9 million in 2010 to a staggering 29 million in 2011.

With the addressable market growing via smartphone penetration, an increased amount of providers are unveiling services, including an increasing amount of mobile operators that are coming around in some shape and form to mobile VoIP.

According to a spokesperson for In-Stat, “While VoIP is a well-defined market, mobile VoIP is still in its infancy, with most offerings only being developed over the past several years, and because it's in its nascent stage, there are significant opportunities for companies to develop the market. However, there are also a number of uncertainties, which is not surprising in a new market."

In-Stat broke down a portion of its data to note the following:

1. The major distribution channel utilized by respondents to gain access to mobile VoIP offerings is via the OS application store;

2. The greatest focus of mobile VoIP users reside in Western Europe;

3. Revenues tied to mobile VoIP usage is projected to grow to more than $4 billion in three years;

4. LTE operators are not projected to have a major impact on the mobile VoIP market for at least another year.

In a report authored this past summer on mobile VoIP usage for businesses, In-Stat noted that mobile was being adopted for both consumer and business segments, with business mobile VoIP users expected to increase tenfold over the next five years.