Nokia's apparent run-in with some of its carrier customers over the out-of-the-box inclusion of Skype on its top-end N97 highlights the on-going concerns carriers have about the possibility of revenue loss to alternative voice services.
It's not just that the right client software might make free or cheap calls over the 3G broadband channel an attractive option to mobile phone users (especially if they don't have to fiddle about installing client software to get it), but that they'll increasingly use WiFi (using Skype or other services) for voice calls as well as data-heavy applications (see Smart phone, dumb move).
The WiFi option could become habit-forming.
The fact is that while the telecoms industry is fixing its attention on the deployment of LTE, the WiFi segment is continuing to grow like a weed. While for most marks and measures in telecoms we're happy to creep into double digits in these recessionary times, much of the WiFi market is apparently still growing in the 20 to 40 per cent range.
There are both ever more hotspots blanketing the world's cities and increasing proportions of the world's gadgets are having WiFi built into them, at ever cheaper prices. Most disturbingly for the world's operators though, early adopter use of highly interactive gadgets like the iPhone is showing clearly that if you make WiFi easily available, people use it.. a lot.
First the numbers. According to data just released by ABI Research, WiFi is going gang-busters in both the consumer and enterprise segments. It expects access point shipments to pass the 70 million mark by 2010, nearly all of these generated by the small business and consumer markets. It says consumer electronics is also driving growth with TVs, gaming consoles and laptops using WiFi and pushing the process along.
The number of hotspots is also continuing to grow at a rapid clip.
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