Low Cost and Mobile VoIP
Written by martyndavies on Jul 17, 2008 - 12:58 AM
Low Cost & Mobile VoIP is a new industry study just published by Technology Appraisals, that talks in detail about many of the companies that we cover here at VoIP User.
The study talks not only about mobile VoIP providers, but also the surrounding technology areas including social networking, SMS, video, IM & buddy lists. This reflects the complex mix of functionality that is offered by different competitors in the market at the moment, for example Maxroam is a mainly a voice player, where Fring is does voice, but is also very much an aggregator for IM services including Skype and Twitter.
The report has detailed profiles of a lot of names familiar to VoIP User readers including Maxroam, Fring, Gizmo, iSkoot, Jajah, Skype, Raketu, Rebtel, Talkplus, and Truphone. It also covers a lot of other less well-known players like Yeigo, Vyke and TringMe. In each case the profile has a brief company history, details of how the organization is funded, and the products that are offered by the company. Where known, the number of subscribers to each service is published.
Here is a small extract from the section on Skype:
Chapter 4 of the report is a useful technology backgrounder, describing some of the techniques used to provide low-cost telephony services, including call-through, call-back, local numbering, WiFi and cellular data. It gives examples of some of the services in the report and what mix of features they use to implement their solution.
Chapter 5 is a tariff comparison, giving detailed tables (where known) of call rates from the UK/France/Germany/USA to a variety of other nations. So if you wanted to compare head-to-head Rebtel to Truphone to Jajah, then this would be possible.
Finally section 6 gives some figures on Smartphone penetration, given that a lot of mobile VoIP services depend on high-end handsets.
The report is an interesting read, and feels remarkably up-to-date. Although I can think of a couple of companies that are not in, it is a good body of data and covers some companies that I had not come across. If I were working for an incumbent telco or cellco, I would certainly want to read this report to understand how the new generation of roaming competitors are making their money.
The study is available from Technology Appraisals, for more information see http://www.techapps.co.uk/mpc.htm, price is UK£375.
The study talks not only about mobile VoIP providers, but also the surrounding technology areas including social networking, SMS, video, IM & buddy lists. This reflects the complex mix of functionality that is offered by different competitors in the market at the moment, for example Maxroam is a mainly a voice player, where Fring is does voice, but is also very much an aggregator for IM services including Skype and Twitter.
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A new mobile sector is taking shape. At least 30 new companies, and possibly as many as 50, have appeared, offering low cost mobile calling often combined with other mobile services. This is against a background, or because of it, where major mobile industry trends are having increasing impact - the sheer size and growth of mobile communications, the growth of user mobility and travel, the changing influence of the big operators, new and improved handset and wireless technologies, and the move to IP. |
The report has detailed profiles of a lot of names familiar to VoIP User readers including Maxroam, Fring, Gizmo, iSkoot, Jajah, Skype, Raketu, Rebtel, Talkplus, and Truphone. It also covers a lot of other less well-known players like Yeigo, Vyke and TringMe. In each case the profile has a brief company history, details of how the organization is funded, and the products that are offered by the company. Where known, the number of subscribers to each service is published.
Here is a small extract from the section on Skype:
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For mobile VoIP to become popular mobile phone users need unrestricted flat-rate tariff data plans similar to the low cost flat-rate plans available to landline users that have been instrumental in the success of fixed line VoIP, but the mobile industry has only very recently started to move in that direction. Skype and others have given the lack of suitable data plans as one of the reasons why they have not yet made a big effort with mobile VoIP, expressing concern that though they can claim their service is free or very low cost, the mobile user was likely to be hit with very high mobile data use charges. |
Chapter 4 of the report is a useful technology backgrounder, describing some of the techniques used to provide low-cost telephony services, including call-through, call-back, local numbering, WiFi and cellular data. It gives examples of some of the services in the report and what mix of features they use to implement their solution.
Chapter 5 is a tariff comparison, giving detailed tables (where known) of call rates from the UK/France/Germany/USA to a variety of other nations. So if you wanted to compare head-to-head Rebtel to Truphone to Jajah, then this would be possible.
Finally section 6 gives some figures on Smartphone penetration, given that a lot of mobile VoIP services depend on high-end handsets.
The report is an interesting read, and feels remarkably up-to-date. Although I can think of a couple of companies that are not in, it is a good body of data and covers some companies that I had not come across. If I were working for an incumbent telco or cellco, I would certainly want to read this report to understand how the new generation of roaming competitors are making their money.
The study is available from Technology Appraisals, for more information see http://www.techapps.co.uk/mpc.htm, price is UK£375.
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