13 September 2006

Mobile VoIP is becoming a hot topic as more companies pop to offer VoIP clients that run on any Internet-enabled cell phone, such as Nokia's E-series handsets. Judging from the buzz at CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment this week in Los Angeles, mobile carriers are trying to change mobile VoIP from a threat to an opportunity, before it gains critical mass.

Third-party mobile VoIP clients divert voice minutes from the cellcos – a potentially massive revenue drain. The threat lingers in announcements like the one from VoxLib this week, launching what it said is the first-ever voice IM mobile application for the mass market, enabling consumers to use their mobile phones to make long-distance calls to PC users that subscribe to IP voice services such as Skype. (see story)