VoIP service leaves traditional international voice call carriers for dust.

[menotu]

Jane Mccallion - 18 Feb, 2013

Telecoms research firm TeleGeography's annual state of the market report has shown that voice over IP (VoIP) technology has become the method of choice for making international voice calls.

In 2011, total international voice traffic grew 9 per cent. However, when broken down by type of technology, traditional phone-based traffic grew 3 per cent, to 317 billion minutes, while VoIP traffic grew 25 per cent, to 150 billion minutes.

This trend towards cloud-based communication was even starker in 2012, with TeleGeography estimating global traffic grew 5 per cent to 490 billion minutes, 34 per cent of which were transported as VoIP.

“While market demand for cross-border communications has not declined, hundreds of millions of consumers have discovered that they can communicate without the service of a telco,” said TeleGeography.

“The share of international traffic routed via computer-to-computer VoIP services has skyrocketed. Cross-border traffic route via Skype, by far the largest provider of ‘over-the-top’ (OTT) communications service, is projected to grow by an astonishing 51 billion minutes in 2012,” it added.

http://www.itpro.co.uk/voice-recognition/19213/skype-scoops-international-voice-traffic?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ITPro%2FToday+%28IT+PRO+-+Today%29

[Just17]

The share of international traffic routed via computer-to-computer VoIP services has skyrocketed.

I wonder what makes them think that VOIP traffic must be computer-to-computer 

I have not made any calls using a traditional telecom company to a landline for the past few years, and the vast majority of that does NOT involve a computer.

Yes I do use a computer for some VOIP connections ....  most often to those who have VOIP only via computer.

I am rather surprised that more people have not set up VOIP in preference to standard telephone services.

The voice is clearer and the cost is much reduced.

One thing that is not clear .......  how much of the Skype traffic is free of cost?