Changing the Face of Communication: Wifi Meets VOIP

The Internet revolution is now being felt in voice communication. Now anybody in the world can talk without using a real phone. They may even be able to use a pocket pc WiFi phone. A technology called "voice over Internet protocol" (VOIP) has made these things possible. VOIP combined with wireless technology can truly provide an amazing experience with WiFi VOIP phones.

VOIP started with the so-called "soft-phone," software that needs to be installed on a computer that has a broadband


Need for Wireless (WIFI VOIP)
As new technology is introduced, people try to find ways to adapt the new technology to their current activities. VOIP phones are no exception. When people realized the benefits of VOIP, the need for wireless VOIP phones increased. Having a wireless device allows total flexibility and mobility, not to mention an inexpensive way of making calls.

The first WiFi VOIP phones manufactured are specific to a particular service. One example is the Netgear WiFi phone for Skype. As its name implies, the phone is only for Skype users who need to make calls even when they are not in front of the computer. Another example is the Vonage WiFi phone, which is obviously made just for Vonage VOIP subscribers.



Netgear WiFi Phone for Skype
The Netgear WiFi phone is designed especially for Skype users. The phone is ideal for heavy Skype users, those who use Skype as their main mode of business or personal communication, or just about anybody who uses Skype most of the time.


Vonage WiFi Phone
The Vonage WiFi phone is a UTStarcom F1000 model and is quite small in size which makes it handy. The Vonage WiFi Phone can make calls to any other VOIP phones or any ordinary phones in the areas covered within the user's subscription. The phone also works well with any wireless hotspots anywhere in the world, open or secured.

Other than that, the Vonage WiFi phone acts like the ordinary mobile phones in that the user can select ring tones, has a phone book, can set speed dialing, and call log access.


Future of WiFi VOIP Phones
WiFi VOIP phones seem to have a promising future. By 2005, there were about 4.5 million subscribers to VOIP in the U.S. alone. The Asian market also has a wide acceptance of the technology, projecting $10 billion revenue by 2009. These statistics can surely motivate manufacturers to improve and enhance the features of wireless VOIP phones. Whether the unit is a dedicated VOIP phone or a pocket pc WiFi phone, the advantages of WiFi phone service outweigh the limitations.



Mobile Voip on Nokia Wi-fi Mobiles Launched

Mobile calls between Tpad users are free worldwide if the calls are routed over their WiFi Connection. All other PSTN calls from the user's WiFi mobile to any other landline or mobile in the world will be charged at the usual low Tpad VoIP rates.


The 411 on Wifi VoIP Phones

There is no disputing the perks of wifi phones. By combining the freedom of wireless connections with the benefits of VoIP, these portable devices grant users greater mobility, typically at reduced prices compared to standard telephone services.


Vertically Challenged

But the smooth handoff of calls between wifi and mobile networks is not without its fair share of challenges. For starters, not all vertical businesses are well suited to enterprise wifi phones. "For most enterprises, wifi phones don’t make a ton of sense. Do you really need to have your phone strapped to your belt all the time? Today’s stand-alone wifi VoIP phones are really targeted at certain industries where they can make a difference.”Nor are all wifi phones equipped for corporate America. “The truth is the lower-priced wifi phones aren’t really enterprise-ready,” said Tauschek, citing Skype Ltd.’s wifi phones as a prime example.


VoIP Meets WiFi
The advances of VoIP and Internet telephony in general have come a long way since their inception. Most recently, the "next big thing" has been to merge Wi-Fi with VoIP, producing one of the oddest acronyms you'll ever see. VoWiFi. VoWiFi, or Voice over Wireless Fidelity, simply means a Wi-Fi based VoIP service — or in even more general terms, a wireless based VoIP system.


Along with added benefits to business and those with a need for wireless communications, VoWiFi also opens up the door for a whole new market of consumer products such as a standalone VoWiFi handheld. Many cellular phone companies such as Nokia and Motorola have already announced dual-mode cellular phones that will support seamless roaming from WiFi to cellular networks when WiFi is unavailable to a caller. That is one of the biggest challenges facing VoWiFi — roaming access. A WiFi access point offers a communication range of up to 90 meters (commonly called a hotspot), and continuous conversations would mean that the caller must stay within an area of overlapping hotspots, or as already suggested, have a VoWiFi dual-mode phone that would switch to a regular cellular phone transmission when the caller moves out of a hot spot range.



Wireless VoIP Phone Packages

The BroadVoice WiFi VoIP Phone is available with any BroadVoice Unlimited rate plan. When ordered with BroadVoice Internet Phone Service, the Wifi VoIP Phone is just $99.95 (regular price $139.95).

Works with any WiFi (802.11b/g) compatible wireless access point
Simple installation (WiFi Phone Installation Instructions)
Weights just 0.24 lbs and pocket sized!
Compatible with most BroadVoice calling features