What is VoIP? It uses the same principles as a phone but it uses the transmission of the internet. Most VoIP to VoIP phones are actually free - amazing no call charges and no more bills.
So if there were VoIP networks set up all over the world with everyone using them, it would have a massive effect on not only the current phone providers but maybe mobile service provider's aswell. VoIP relies on broadband or internet connection to connect to other users but is this a bad thing? You pay your one off broadband fee every month get your VoIP setup and communicate with all other VoIP members for free no matter how long you talk.
Although the traditional phone is still being used and not likely to be replaced in the near future IP telephony is the way forward, nearly every household and business has internet access now so why not take advantage of it - If there was a mass installation of wireless networks throughout the world as there is with mobile networks you would be able to take a digital VoIP phone anywhere and get connection, yet again absolutely free unless you are ringing current household numbers or mobiles.
Most companies at the moment offer variations of packages so you can communicate with other VoIP members and different networks at a flat monthly fee.
There is now also a wide range of VoIP phones being released onto the market that does everything a house phone would do such as answer messages and caller Id. That being said there is still a lot of growth needed for VoIP phones such as connecting to emergency call numbers and being made available on a global stage with masses of wireless networks, but I feel that this will shortly be answered.
Moving forward into the next decade VoIP will be the number one way to communicate and if the current service providers do not jump on the bandwagon fairly shortly there will be a lot of redundancies! As the speed that IP telephony is growing you got to get in or lose out.
So the answer to my question will VoIP replace the traditional phone and mobile well in the short term no, but now lets look at the next 5 years cheaper calls, free calls and the ability to communicate from almost anywhere globally then the only way forward will be VoIP communication. So let's see how it plans out.
