wVoIP (wireless VoIP)

FCC issues E911 regs, but mobile VoIP a headache

Doug Mohney — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:15:01 -0400

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued regulations this week for VoIP service providers to offer enhanced 911 (E911) call services to all customers, as required under the New And Emerging Technologies (NET911) Improvement Act of 2008.

Under the NET 911 Act, interconnected VoIP providers have the obligation to provide 911 and E911 services in accordance with existing FCC requirements. In addition, each interconnected VoIP provider has the right, like any other carrier, to access capabilities from other carriers to deliver 911/E911 services.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is concerned that there's no specific guidance on what capabilities could be used to help determine the origin of a 911 call; this is a big deal with mobile VoIP customers when they roam outside of their service provider's footprint. Without "last known call" information included in some fashion, there's not enough data to provide to the appropriate public safety officials to send help.

Other FCC Commissions disagree, saying that the FCC order reflects the language and intent of the NET 911 act and that it is too early to lock into last-known call as a required technology before the public safety community and the FCC have had a better look at other options.

Cell phone and VoIP providers are already required to offer 911 and E911 services, but mobile IP phone service adds another complication because a client is not tied into a specific location or cellular system that could be used to locate the caller. The NET 911 Act extends existing 911 service requirements for wireless providers to mobile VoIP providers.

For more:
- Government Computer News coverage of FCC's 911 wireless VoIP rules. Article.

SPOTLIGHT: Skype like WiMAX

Doug Mohney — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:06:42 -0400

Skype COO Scott Durchslag said the company is looking to extend its business operations from PCs to mobile devices (OK, with 3 and an Java-based mobile client, no big secret there), with WiMAX as one technology where Skype services might have potential.
While in Taiwan, Durchslag said WiMAX was a "different case," since it was just another application across a data-loving network; on cellular networks, it competes with cell dollars. Durchslag was visiting Taiwan to seek opportunities between Skype and Taiwanese makers of handsets and mobile devices.

For more:
- DIGITIMES stalks Skype COO in Taiwan. Post.

Related articles
Skype's mobilized phone play - FierceVoIP
3 Mobile and Skype collaborate on VoIP phone

Vyke 3Q numbers boost shares

Doug Mohney — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:05:25 -0400

UK-based Vyke Communications's third quarter numbers have boosted the company's stock price for today. At press time, Vyke's stock was up 3.5 percent and had peaked at almost 5 percent up early today.

Vyke says it is on track to become EBIDTA and cash flow positive on an ongoing month by month basis by the end of the year. It reports 1.8 million customers, an increase of 326 percent compared to 3Q 2007. It has been adding customers at an average of 14,000 per day since 2004. The company says it has a "strong start" with twenty-one Fortune 500 companies participating in its pilot mobile VoIP projects.

Late in September, Vyke sold off its declining calling card business to Direct Connect International and expects to get $1.65 million over the next three years on an earn-out basis; the sale also freed up $50K per month in assorted equipment, hosting and legal expenses.

From a business perspective, Vyke has avoided the "me too" trap of many mobile/web VoIP companies. It has aggressively adopted a Wi-Fi strategy and has a targeted marketing strategy to bring Asian expats onboard.

For more:
- Proactive Investor reports on Vyke share prices up on 3Q numbers

Kineto Wireless gets $15M

Doug Mohney — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:34:19 -0400

FMC innovator Kineto Wireless received an additional $15.5 million in private funding, including a "strategic" investment from Motorola.

Motorola's investment is a part of a broader commercial relationship with its Home & Network Mobility business. Kineto's existing investors -- Oak Investment Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures, Venrock, Seapoint Ventures and InterDigital -- also chipped in on the round, and NEC's earlier contribution is being counted in the total as well.

Kineto's software technology provides a link between unlicensed wireless services (i.e. Wi-Fi) and cellular data networks and can be found in T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home product. The next step for Kineto is to move beyond "vanilla" Wi-Fi/cellular bridges and use the same software technology to move into the femtocell market. Femtocells - mini cellular basestations hooked into a home broadband connection - help boost in-home cellular coverage and also can help to off-load broadband traffic onto a carrier's wireless network.

Kineto and NEC have created a standard to connect femtocells to a home network based on Kineto's UMA (unlicensed mobile access) technology. The latest round of funding is expected to support femtocell deployment and developments for NEC and Motorola, as carriers and equipment makers figure out the best way to roll out femto-networks.

For more:
- GigaOm talks about Kineto's latest VC round. Article.

SPOTLIGHT: Israel greenlights VoIP over WiFi test

Doug Mohney — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:36:17 -0400

Israel's Ministry of Communication has granted a special license for a "marketing experiment" to deliver domestic fixed-line phone services using VoIP through a WiFi hot spot.

Under the license NSR Ltd is providing VoIP through end-user equipment, including a WiFi "interface." The experiment is supposed to examine "participants' motivation" to use the service, plus operational and marketing aspects.

Last week the Ministry published a document on amending the country's wireless LAN policy draft on hotspot telephony.

For more:
- Cellular-News UK reports on Israel's changes in WiFi VoIP policy

DeFi reviewed

Doug Mohney — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:01:08 -0400

DeFi Mobile, a service currently focused on the international traveler, enables a user with a dual-mode phone to make calls over a low-cost WiFi VoIP connection, rather than more expensive cellular roaming service.

For $40 a month, users get a phone number in the country of choice out of a list of 40 (with 20 more to be added soon). Users can make and receive unlimited global WiFi calls at that price and can add on two more numbers in other countries for another $10. The flat monthly fee includes use of a lot of WiFi hot spots, including AT&T Wireless, FON, Orange and T-Mobile; there's more than 50 partnership agreements covering upward of 75 countries, 15,000 hotels and 120 airports. Currently, DeFi Mobile's client software download supports Nokia Symbian handsets with other versions in the works. DeFi's special sauce claim is on call quality. The company has established direct connections with "hundreds" of telecom carriers at a colo facility, proving direct IP links to other IP networks, including cable providers.

DeFi sees big potential not only with overseas travelers, but for U.S. users. The company says that cell phone users are in a WiFi zone about 60 percent of the time when they are making calls. College students are viewed as a big market since they're always looking to save money and they're in a WiFi zone most of the time.

For more:
- VoIP News gives the skinny on DeFi Mobile. Article.

Gizmo5 Defends Nokia VoIP Intentions

Doug Mohney — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:43:19 -0400

In an email CC'ed to FierceVoIP, Gizmo5 CEO Michael Robertson comes to defend the honor of Nokia with tech talk.

Robertson, also the founder of Linspire, MP3tunes and REEF, has never been shy about sharing his opinions. In the letter, addressed to Om Malik of GigaOm fame, Robertson says the Nokia N78 phone runs the latest version of the Symbian operating system, which changes how VoIP is supported in the OS framework.

"It actually adds more VOIP support to the OS so developers will need to do less work to build VOIP capable programs. This means that VOIP software which previously worked with Symbian 3.0 and 3.1 devices such as Gizmo will not run on these devices without being altered to account for this new VOIP structure."

Robertson goes on to say work is underway to make Gizmo compatible with Symbian 3.2, which will enable VoIP calls on devices such as the N78. He also points out that Nokia is nice enough to feature Gizmo on the e71 phone under its "Setup Internet Tel" application and Symbian 3.1 OS.

Michael says "...as the software applications and operating system come into sync, I expect the support to actually improve as core VOIP functionality is embedded even further into the OS. Remember, Nokia now owns Symbian." Gizmo5 continues to see "constant growth" as more WiFi enabled devices are sold.

Related stories
Nokia drops VoIP on new N-Series
Mobile Enterprise VoIP: Has its time finally come? Maybe, maybe not

WiFi on the rebound (again)

Doug Mohney — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:32:48 -0400

Slowly, but surely, WiFi continues to creep forward into near-ubiquity. It is a good thing too, as people reach for VoIP calls on their iPhone and want mobile UC apps without having to clock cellular minutes.

It hasn't been an easy road. Back in 2003, AT&T, IBM and Intel teamed up to launch Cometa Networks, a venture to roll out a national Wi-Fi network. A couple of years and $60 million later, Cometa dissolved into vapor. At the same time Cometa launched, Verizon was running WiFi hotspots in NYC by recycling pay phone infrastructure, but pulled the plug after they had a problem monetizing the effort.

Another bump in the road has been well-intentioned efforts to build all-encompassing muni-WiFi networks that met the reality of "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Town fathers wanted all the benefits of cheap wireless broadband but were reluctant to dedicate the resources necessary to make it happen (Or they wanted to reap the benefits and get additional fees from leasing antenna spots). On the other side, the private sector seemed to have crazy ideas that, if they built it, profits would come. Earthlink reportedly lost $80 million in 2007 trying to build out muni-Fi projects.

Yet WiFi continues to proliferate, a storefront at a time. The Baja Fresh around the corner from my house offers free WiFi and many of the local non-chain restaurants are also turning up WiFi. How fine dining and wireless access go together is beyond me, but to each his own. Do I need to mention McDonald's here?

Proliferation of WiFi makes VoIP and UC all the more valuable, because it enhances the ability of people to make non-PSTN calls. And with more ubiquitous connectivity, the possibility of new and better IP communications apps also increases.

- Doug

SPOTLIGHT: Clearwire Credits Better Revenues to VoIP

Doug Mohney — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:23:05 -0400

According to its second quarter 2008 financial report, U.S. WiMAX provider Clearwire's average revenue per user (ARPU, not Alpo) has grown to $39.29. It's an increase of $1.35 over this quarter last year and $2.42 more than last quarter. ARPU growth is attributed to increased sales of new services, including VoIP, among other things. Unfortunately, the company didn't break out VoIP numbers from the total increase in revenue.

For more
- Read Clearwire's 2Q08 results release

Related articles:
Clearwire to offer its own VoIP service
Clearwire launches wVoIP in Texas

Hyping VoIP encryption

Mon, 05 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

Three year old Cellcrypt is getting coverage as it tries to raise several million dollars and close deals with the British government and multinational companies. According to The Guardian, Cellcrypt has supposedly been in "stealth mode" as it has been perfecting its technology and getting security clearances from U.K. and U.S. authorities--but the company has been speaking at events and posting press releases since 2006.

Still, making mobile voice calls private isn't a bad idea, especially since one of the founders of the company was demonstrating a straightforward brute force technique of cracking the current method of GSM encryption at the March 2008 Black Hat Federal Security event in Washington D.C.

Cellcrypt sells an end-to-end solution for encrypting voice calls using a VoIP application on the mobile phone and a PBX gateway, plus a switch to manage call routing to the appropriate IP addresses, but it's not a unique solution. Phil Zimmermann of PGP fame has been developing his Zfone encryption solution for several years and has licensed the underlying technology to a number of companies; there's also a set of patches to put Z-cryption onto Asterisk.

For more:
- The Guardian piece on VoIP encryption company Cellcrypt trying to raise money
- Forbes.com's ringside seat to GSM encryption being cracked at Black Hat Fed

Related articles:
List of VoIP risks keeps growing
Circle the wagons, enterprise VoIP is under attack

InterOp's wireless VoIP flavoring

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Go to InterOp, see wireless VoIP-flavored promotions or technology. Agito Networks and Trapeze Networks both have Wireless/Mobile VoIP technology to show off in Las Vegas.

Agito is announcing details of the Enterprise Fixed Mobile Convergence (eFMC) Infrastructure Passport program, an ecosystem to get all the moving parts of services and local LAN bits to play well together. As part of your enlightenment, you can run around with a paper passport on the show floor, collect stamps by visiting at Agito's partners, and return back to Agito for a chance to win a dual-mode Nokia phone--they're not giving away an iPhone! Agito's mobility router appliance does smart management of dual-mode technologies using location-based technology and plays well with many other boxes and software.

Trapeze Networks will demonstrate its NonStop WirelessTM technology at Interop. Voice sessions over VoIP handsets over Trapexe MP access points and MX mobility controllers will be setup, then they'll pull the plug on an MX controller during an active call to demonstrate fully automated dynamic redundancy and scaling. Claims for NonStop WirelessTM technology include non-stop operation, in-service upgrades, and hitless failover while dramatically simplifying redundancy configuration.

For more:
- Agito Networks eFMC Infrastructure Passport release
- Trapeze Networks NonStop Wireless release

Nortel, Arcor integrate mobile phones into corporate networks

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:59:54 -0400

German telecom Arcor is teaming up with Nortel to provide a mobile enterprise VoIP offering that allows workers to connect with their corporate network using mobile phones. Arcor demonstrated the new Central Phone mobility functionalities at the CeBIT 2008 trade fair in Hanover, Germany. The new functionalities are expected to be available to Arcor clients before the end of this year.

"Arcor selected Nortel for its technology expertise in both the wireline and the wireless area and for its ability to design and implement a fixed mobile convergence solution. Thanks to this expertise, Arcor will soon be able to offer customers enhanced hosted VoIP business services through Central Phone that allow them to enhance their productivity through effortless, seamless calling across multiple types of phones," says Walter Vorderhuber, head of Product Management VAS, Arcor. "Now that both fixed-line calls and mobile calls are managed by the same network, we can provide our customers with simple and affordable services that are more flexible than ever before."

For more on the deal:
- Read the release

Related articles:
Mobile Enterprise VoIP: Has its time finally come?
Comcast launches triple-play aimed at business

WiFi phone sales leap 60% as support improves

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:54 -0400

It's funny what a little support can do for a product. Infonetics Research says WiFi phone sales increased more than 60 percent last year--682,000 units were sold worldwide--because vendors did more to support wireless VoIP.

"IP telephony has matured, and wireless LANs have also matured," says Infonetics analysts Richard Webb. "Companies started to build wireless LANs to put data on them, but now they are looking for other applications."

For more:
- Read the release from Infonetics Research

Related articles:
Vodafone swings behind VoIP
Mobile VoIP key for next-gen networks

Mobile Enterprise VoIP: Has its time finally come? Maybe, maybe not

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:59:57 -0400

Mobile VoIP in Europe just can't get any respect..at least not at the moment. While mobile enterprise is seeing a boom--to the tune of increased spending in the 21 percent range year over year--it hasn't yet filtered down to VoIP, says Forrester Research analyst Phil Sayer. "I don't think enterprise mobile VoIP is going anywhere at the moment."

While VoIP is elbowing its way into enterprise as legacy systems grow old and die, it's struggling, despite being pushed along by start-ups and the odd telcos. At the moment, it's a matter of economics--and a perceived lack of user friendliness. Mobile operators aren't putting packages of VoIP minutes together, Sayer says, "they're positively trying to make it go away. So there is no immediate benefit for the business user or purchasing folks to adopt it." Because VoIP generally needs a smartphone, the market is further restricted.

But mobile enterprise VoIP has potential, lots of it, especially as employees become less tied to their offices. VoIP operator Truphone--which recently hooked up with conference-calling specialist Iotum--says more than half of its subscribers in 149 countries use VoIP for enterprise.

Says Forrester's Sayer about the potential for growth: "Sooner or later the dam will burst."

For more:
- See the complete article in the Financial Times

Related articles:
Vodafone gets behind VoIP Report
T-Mobile CEO says wVoIP won't connect Report

Australian operator says VoIP won't work on WiMAX

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:59:56 -0400

VoIP providers may be eagerly anticipating Clearwire and Sprint's next dance onto the nationwide WiMAX network floor, but at least one early adopter, Australian Garth Freeman, CEO of Hervey Bay's Buzz Broadband, labeled the technology a "miserable failure." Freeman, who operated--and closed--Australia's inaugural WiMAX network, told a pro-WiMAX audience at a Bangkok conference last week that the technology was rife with bugs that made it unacceptable for use with VoIP and other Internet apps. Specifically jitter and latency rates as high as 1MS, and "non-existent" line of sight performance beyond 1.8 miles. Add poor indoor performance outside a quarter mile, and WiMAX-supported VoIP installations begin to look a little pie-in-the sky.

Buzz isn't alone in decrying WiMAX penetration issues. At an IEEE conference in 2007, India's VSNL said it was recording loss of signal just two football field's away from base stations.

Freeman went on to lambaste the "opportunistic hype" surrounding WiMAX, concluding with a warning to the gathering that "WiMAX may not work." A year ago, just months after launching WiMAX, Freeman said Buzz had signed 10 percent of its target WiMAX market, using VoIP value as a come on.

For more:
- Read about Garth Freeman's tirade in CommsDay

Related articles:
HelloSoft launches VoIP for Soc Report
Clearwire launches VoIP over WiMAX network Report

VoIP developers fire up for iPhone

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:59:58 -0400

Steve Jobs' green light for third party apps for the iPhone--including WiFi based VoIP--is expected to see several voice widgets quickly come to market. U.K. provider Truphone had already released a demonstration model late last year. Over the weekend, they issued a careful statement acknowledging their interest and indicating they would be developing a fully fledged application. DSL Reports also wrote that video chat developer SightSpeed was working on a VoIP app, but that iPhone's camera placement was proving problematic.

The big question is what Skype is up to. The sheer popularity of the iPhone--and the chance to share in the $100 million developer fund Apple and its VC partners have put on the table--makes it an almost certainty Skype will move quickly to be part of the play. Certainly that is what the expectation is from the analysts who closely watch Skype. The combination of iPhone and Skype would definitely make the cellular industry worried--if they are not already. But while some see Apple's VoIP announcement as a game changer, others such as ZNet's Russell Shaw cautions that Vonage offered VoIP over WiFi and dropped it. True, but that was pre-iPhone and we have already seen enough evidence to suggest the iPhone is the breakthrough product for the internet moving to the wireless space.

For more:
- Apple iPhone SDK and developer fund Release
- SightSpeed works on iPhone VoIP app Article
- VoIP on iPhone a possibility Article
- Truphone a starter for iPhone VoIP Blog

Related articles:
Vodafone swings behind mobile VoIP Article
T-Mobile offers $10-a-month calling Article
FierceWireless is sponsoring The Path to 4G seminar at next month's CTIA trade-show

Vodafone swings behind VoIP

Tom Burton — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Vodafone Germany is launching a mobile VoIP service using WiFi that expands the reach of the cellular service indoors and removes international roaming fees. The converging of the WiFi and Cellular service makes Vodafone the first major carrier to embrace mobile VoIP in Europe. Vodafone is a 45 percent owner of Verizon Wireless and is the world's largest operator by turnover.

The move to use WiFi to expand the footprint of the service follows a similar announcement by German-owned T-Mobile to offer WiFi coverage in homes of their U.S. customers. T-Mobile customers can talk on this service to anyone in the U.S. for a very competitive $10 a month.

Cellular operators have been predicted to embrace mobile VoIP for several years. But the technology was largely resisted by operators because of concerns it would cannibalize their profitable cellular plays. The move by the industry leader to begin using VoIP represents a significant new development and comes as several start-ups have begun promoting new VoIP calling widgets for smartphones.

The current 3G networks are generally considered not ready to provide a quality VoIP service, but the transition to super-fast 4G networks is likely to herald a rapid switch to data-based calling. Most of the cellular players are looking to adopt LTE platforms with timing still up in the air, but around 2011. Sprint may move sooner and adopt WiMAX as its 4G platform.

For more:
Back to the future of mobile voice Article

Related articles:
T-Mobile gets endorsement Article
T-Mobile offers $10-a-month calling Article
FierceWireless is sponsoring The Path to 4G seminar at next month's CTIA trade-show

Bundling and data the key drivers for telco growth

Tom Burton — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:59:57 -0500

Data and web services are expected to be the driver of telecoms growth over the next four years, the TIA 2008 Market Review and Forecast study has predicted. On the wireline side, growth is being driven by VoIP deployment and video. The report pointed to an even more profound switch to IP services for wireless networks--thirty five percent of U.S. wireless service revenue will come from data services, up from 16% in 2007.

Bundling has quickly emerged as the most profound consumer change with 40 percent of all customers now in a bundle, up from 14 percent in 2005 and expected to rise to 82 percent by 2011. Such a strong switch to multiple services makes in increasingly difficult for pure-play operators like Vonage to grow.

"Voice communications, the heart of the industry, is almost an afterthought now," one of the reports authors, Arthur Gruen, said. "The action is on the data side. Entertainment is a driver. Bandwidth consumption is just booming. It doubled in 2006 and quadrupled in 2007."

Gruen said as recently as 2002 and 2003 there was so much access capacity there would be no need to invest in bandwidth for the foreseeable future. "Well, the foreseeable future lasted less than a decade. Now we are in a situation where, if we don't some significant investment now-- and companies are in fact doing it--we may be running into bandwidth shortages," Gruen said.

For more:
- Telecom poised for strong growth Article

Related articles:
Big four players win 12M customers Report
T-Mobile bundles WiFi Report

Sony releases VoIP head sets

Tom Burton — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:59:54 -0500

Sony has released new VoIP headsets with hands-free capability. The headsets are designed to feature a high-enough quality audio speaker to be used for music and games as well as telephony ,for multi gaming, or normal conversation. The headsets come with a flexible, detachable USB microphone and "Silent Cap Design" noise-canceling technology, to reduce sound leakage. Sony has recently built VoIP technology into its PSP and had previously equipped its Playstation console with VoIP capability.

The headphones are available in black/silver and black/metallic orange colors. Many believe the IP hub for most homes will be based around gaming consoles with both Sony and Microsoft trialling IPTV via consoles.

For more:
- Sony adds color and voice to headsets Release

Related articles:
Sony VoIPs out the PSP Report
Mobile Nintendo as a VoIP platform? Report

Skype: Stand-by for violence

Tom Burton — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:59:54 -0500

The emergence of the open telephony platform built on Internet for telephony will be violent, chaotic and messy according to Skype GM for Audio and Video Jonathan Christensen. He forecasts that anyone who seeks to stand in the way of open platforms will be doomed and says the only innovation from the telecom sector in the last 20 years has been the advent of mobility.

"I think that anybody who has not figured out that the Internet is the platform and that there isn't any such thing as walled gardens that will survive, or sub-networks [such as AOL tried] that are going to survive, those people are doomed," Christensen says in a long interview with ecommmedia.com. "The intersection of these worlds is going to be chaotic. It's going to be violent. It's going to be messy for a while but it is going to happen, and the Internet will survive as the one open platform. I think that you are only going to see further disruption of the telecom industry and the emergence of totally new businesses that we can't imagine today."

Christensen says the result will be very rich, open, cheap and accessible communications. "This is going to be not just a game changer for the telecom industry, but will be a change agent for all of humanity."

Maybe Skype could get with the open spirit and make its service interoperable with other VoIP offerings?

For more:
- Lee Dryburgh interviewed Christensen for ecommmedia.com Article

Related articles:
Skype struggles to find real revenues Report
Skype resists inter-operability Report