While mobile VoIP poses a threat to mobile operators’ traditional voice revenues, it also opens up new sources of revenue and means to reduce their costs.<\/p>\n
On the negative side from their perspective, cellular operators are concerned that running VoIP over their networks will lead to:<\/p>\n
On the potentially positive side of the equation the use of VoIP over mobile networks makes the mobile terminal a native IP device, just like a networked PC or VoIP fixed phone, which opens up multiple new possibilities. In a positive perspective mobile operators can then for example offer all the value-added features of landline VoIP to their customers. These features include capabilities from user-programmable call forwarding and conferencing to customized alarms and wakeup calls and use of the mobile phone as another extension of an IP PBX.<\/p>\n
In addition VoIP can also benefit mobile operators by offloading calls from their expensive mobile infrastructure. Dual-mode cellular\/WiFi handsets allow customers to make calls and to roam from cellular to VoIP services via WiFi “hot spots” or WiFi home routers, while handsets without built-in WiFI can enjoy the same capability through on premise femtocells linked to fixed broadband access connections that deliver voice calls to and from mobile core networks bypassing the radio access network. <\/p>\n
The potentially adverse impact of mobile VoIP on the revenues and performance of mobile operators will be greatest or most disruptive in situations in which it is introduced into high price regimes for traditional mobile calls. These higher priced regimes, of which South Africa is a prime example, are more common in Europe and Latin America than in North America and Asia.<\/p>\n
More interesting information here: http:\/\/www.bmi-t.co.za\/?q=content\/voip-over-mobile-networks-curse-or-mixed-blessing-operators<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n