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Frop VoIP to VoWLAN

VoIP, also known as Voice Over Internet Protocal, is a way to speak to anyone in the world through broadband internet access. The beauty of VoIP is that you can either talk for free, assuming the person you are talking to is using the same program, or call any land-line for a lower price. Broadband Internet access has changed the world in many ways. Voice Over IP (VoIP) is changing the telecommunications landscape by allowing phone services to travel over the Internet.

Companies such as Vonage offer all-you-can-eat phone service for under $30, cable companies have their own VoIP service, and even the Verizon?s and AT&T?s of the world offer VoIP. All of these services delivered over the Internet have been constrained to this point by the fixed cable line, fiber line or DSL line installed at the customer?s location. Today, the next step is going mobile with VoIP. For both consumers and companies, the benefits of VoWLAN (Voice over Wireless Local Area Network) are clearly apparent, however there remain challenges to adoption. For consumers, the benefits include lower phone bills, bundled offers and payment, single number convenience and seamless mobility convenience.

Challenges include home network management, security, handset costs and the quality of the call. For enterprises, the advantages include automatic least cost routing, single number customer service and operational benefits, seamless mobility, hotspot/roaming availability and common applications. The challenges include infrastructure upgrades, security, capacity management, handset costs and quality of service. The potential VoWLAN players include wireless service providers, MVNO?s (Mobile Virtual Network Operators,) VoIP Providers, broadband providers and traditional fixed line providers, many of which have different objectives and face different challenges. Also, some of the players are closer than others to actually bringing VoWLAN to market.