
The number of people using
VoIP services in recent years has seen an incremental rise, according to the Internet Telephony Service Providers' Association (Itspa).
Colin Duffy, council member of the Itspa, has said that although the predictions of a
VoIP boom made a few years ago have not been full realised, the service is beginning to saturate the mainstream market.
He added that one important development has been that new landline telephones almost always have
VoIP capabilities. Also, he added, telephone providers are beginning to switch to a digital communications infrastructure.
"Whether or not end users know they're using
VoIP, they all will be, because the network will be carrying all traffic as [digital data]," he explained.
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of this, he claimed, predicting that in a few years time, all British consumers will be using
VoIP to some extent.
Ofcom research found that in 2006, around 60 per cent of UK consumers were aware of
VoIP services.
Vonage offers
VoIP services that allow UK customers to make
cheap calls throughout the UK and abroad.