Mobile phone use boosts VoIP subscription

In-Stat has released the details of its latest research titled "Mobile VoIP 2012: Mobile Operators Provide a Guarded Embrace." According to the study, active mobile VoIP subscriber rates tripled last year, growing from nine million in 2010 to 29 million.

Driven by increased smartphone penetration and a growing volume of offerings, mobile VoIP usage is rising. As the addressable market increases with smartphone penetration, a greater number of providers are introducing services, including a growing handful of mobile operators that are beginning to embrace, to some degree, mobile VoIP.

"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," noted Amy Cravens, senior analyst at In-Stat. "However, there are also a number of uncertainties, which is not surprising in a new market."

The research revealed that the primary distribution channel used by respondents to access mobile VoIP offerings is through the OS application store. It was also found out that the largest concentration of mobile VoIP users is in Western Europe. Additionally, revenues associated with mobile VoIP usage is forecast to reach $4 billion in 2015. However, LTE operators are not likely to have a significant impact on the mobile VoIP market until next year.