Trends of VoIP in Australian Telecommunication Industry

The Australian telecommunication industry involves the availability and use of electronic devices and services such as telephone, radio, television and computer for the purpose of communication. With the growing participation in the digital economy, communication trends in Australia are continuously shifting from fixed-line voice telephony to online and mobile based communication. The growing penetration and usage of internet has changed the Australia’s communication landscape.

The Sectoral Growth

As on June 2014, Australia has 31.01 million of mobile subscribers in the country. These numbers are marginally decline compare to the previous year due to diverse factors, however showing potential for further growth. Further, there is a constant replacement trend of existing mobile handset with smartphones, with 12.09 million people using smart phone at May 2014, grown to 8% since 2013. This has further led to increase the number of mobile internet subscribers in the country –increase by 5% to 26.52 million subscribers during the same period of time. Overall, Australia has 33.05 million of total internet subscribers (26.52 mobile internet subscribers +5.95 fixed line subscribers) reported 90% of the internet penetration in the country. As per Broadband Commission for Digital Development, Australia ranked fourth in terms of mobile-internet penetration per 100 inhabitants across the 138 country of the world during December 2013.

The Emerging Trends

The numbers of fixed-line telephone subscribers are constantly declining due to people’s more inclination towards multipurpose mobile phone services. As of June 2014, Australia has 9.19 million of fixed-line telephone subscribers, which might be further decline in coming days. The key emerging trends of Australian telecommunication sector is significant growth of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) as medium of communication. Registering a healthy growth of 6%, VoIP users are increased to 4.87 million during June 2014. The major growth of VoIP usage related to the use of OTT services via mobile phones and tablets (increased 41% and 48% respectively).

The increasing growth of VoIP communication services in Australia providing challenge to the fixed and mobile voice revenue streams. This remarkable growth of VoIP over tablets and mobile phone is due to rapid take-up of smartphones handsets and availability of easy to use application by VoIP service providers (e.g. Skype, TringMe) which encourage the use VoIP facility in these devices.

The growth in the use of VoIP permit phone calls including telemarketing calls, to be made from virtually everywhere in the world with marginal or no cost. As a result, VoIP is emerged as one of the best alternatives for cheap international calls in Australia and across the globe. Furthermore, the Australia’s business relations are spread across the global economies and vice-versa; requires constant international communication to be made either through traditional or VoIP facilities. The major numbers of international callers prefer VoIP as the best and cheapest communication option to make cheap calls to Australia.

Original Article Source: Articlesbase: Emerging Trends of VoIP in Australian Telecommunication Industry