Market research firm ABI Research has forecasted that dual mode cellular/voice over WiFi (wireless VoIP) enabled handsets will surpass 50 million by 2009 — accounting for seven percent of the overall handset market. Early adopters are already touting the benefits of using WiFi to make inexpensive phone calls.

 

Wireless VoIP theoretically has many advantages, including reduced cost for calls and higher-bandwidth data transfers versus a traditional cellular connection. WiFi networks cost a fraction of what traditional cell tower technology costs to deploy, and can be rolled out quickly without the detailed site reviews required to install radio towers. More importantly, wireless VoIP can actually dramatically improve call quality — especially in residential areas or office towers where traditional mobile network coverage is spotty. What does this mean for the average user? As the workforce moves to a flexible, non-static environment, wireless VoIP will allow employees to roam from mobile networks to WiFi-based home and office networks — using a single device to manage communications that currently traverses mobile, home, and office handsets. Many businesses already have a WiFi network installed — imagine if you could use the same handset both in your office for cheap IP-based calls, and then switch to cellular when you leave the building? Clearly, this technology has a lot to offer, from the enterprise to the average phone user.

Wireless VoIP offers potential savings by allowing companies to change the way they manage their phone systems. For example, instead of having voicemail, caller ID and e-mail separately, wireless VoIP will allow customers to retrieve all of their messages in one place, alleviating the pain of having different operators for different services and ultimately dealing with several bills at a time. Employees can also download software applications, enabling them to turn their phones into “mini-computers” and track inventory, or log onto the company’s intranet.