Skip to main content

U.S. Residential VoIP Subscriber Forecast

IDC views voice over IP (VoIP) as the next generation of technology to change the telecommunications landscape. The market for consumer VoIP services is still in its infancy, but IDC's future outlook points to exponential growth within the next four years. IDC predicts that residential U.S. VoIP subscribers will grow from 10.3 million in 2006 to 44 million in 2010.

The latest IDC forecast shows that VoIP will be used in 62 percent of broadband households in 2010. This forecast is based on the market assumption that the increasing penetration of broadband into homes combined with consumers' comfort with new modes of alternative communications will allow for greater consumer receptivity to VoIP.

Mobility, simplicity, and on-demand telephony top the list of trends that IDC believes will drive growth in consumer VoIP services. The opportunity for an alternative phone service combined with simple setup and hardware requirements is what will make VoIP a practical addition to homes. The potential for VoIP to combine with mobility will provide alternative service choices and devices that give users the experience of being able to communicate anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

It's this idea of simple and compelling applications to help make life easier that VoIP service providers should capitalize on, according to Will Stofega, research manager for IDC�s VoIP Services program. "There is still much to do in terms of creating a product that catches the attention of Main Street," says. Stofega. "For those that are able to tweak their service offering to fit the ever changing tastes of the mass market, the potential growth opportunity is huge."

Popular posts from this blog

Why 2025 Will Redefine Mobile Connectivity

As international travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels in 2025, the mobile communication roaming market is at an inflection point. Emerging technologies and changing customer preferences are challenging traditional wholesale roaming agreements between mobile network operators (MNOs). The global wholesale roaming market is projected to more than double, from $9 billion in 2024 to $20 billion by 2028. This surge will be fueled by the expanding deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) technology, which enables real-time roaming connections and activity monitoring. But beneath this headline figure lies a complex landscape of regional variations and technological mobile service disruptions. Global Mobile Roaming Market Development Western Europe dominates inbound roaming connections, largely thanks to its Roam Like at Home (RLAH) initiative, which eliminates roaming charges among member countries.  Meanwhile, the Indian Subcontinent is emerging as a growth hotspot. Between 2024 and 2029, inbou...