VoIP Goes Mobile

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is a great way to save money on long distance costs from a landline or to enhance the capabilities of telephone service using computer-to-computer connections. It only makes sense that the same technology could be leveraged to afford similar benefits to mobile customers, right? Well…sort of.

At this point, there are some limited ways to take advantage of VoIP and related technologies using mobile devices but mobile service providers aren’t anxious to facilitate methods that allow customers to get around using profitable voice and data plan minutes or roaming fees. Nonetheless, some alternatives have emerged and are sure to proliferate in the future.

Wi-Fi

A large and growing number of cell phones are equipped with Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) technology that Is a second way for the device to communicate with the internet. Wi-Fi has primarily been used primarily to connect to the internet at higher speeds than the cell network will typically support. Using Wi-Fi requires being in range of a “hotspot” which, once rare, is becoming increasingly available. Common places to find Wi-Fi hotspots are airports, restaurants, and hotels. It’s now common for offices, apartment buildings, and personal residences to have Wi-Fi access as part of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

Some wireless providers offer access to voice communication using a phone’s Wi-Fi connection, essentially facilitating wireless VoIP. T-Mobile offers an unlimited hotspot calling plan for an additional $9.99 monthly that provides for unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi from T-Mobile hotspots when you have a HotSpot enabled phone, a qualified rate plan and a T-Mobile wireless router.

Wi-Fi phones

There are a couple of Wi-Fi phones available specifically designed for connecting to Skype without a computer. These devices have the Skype program built-in so allow for use of an existing Skype account wherever Wi-Fi access is available. Since it directly accesses an existing Skype account, worldwide calls to other Skype users are free. There’s no monthly fee but outbound calls require the use of SkypeOut credits. SkypeIn credits are used when receiving inbound calls.

Hybrid Phones

There is an accelerating movement in the mobile industry to integrate three contemporary technologies: VoIP, Wi-Fi, and wireless broadband. The goal is to provide seamless access to the best features of all of the technologies into one device and mobile plan. The result will eventually be better service and potentially lower cost to customers as well as reducing costs of infrastructure development to wireless carriers.

In order for these devices to work effectively, they must be able to hand-off from one type of connection to another without signal interruption. For example, as the device senses that it is about to leave a Wi-Fi hotspot, it automatically changes to the cellular network. Phones designed to do that are expected sometime in 2009 from manufacturers including Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, and NEC. Wireless carriers are in the planning stages of integrating Wi-Fi and cellular technologies into their available plans.

Summary

We can expect broader availability of the benefits VoIP for mobile devices in the relatively near future. Pushed by advances in technology, wireless providers are recognizing the improved benefits that will be available to customers and will, of necessity, adopt the broader options to be competitive.