Voice over Wi-Fi Gathers Momentum
Online staff -- EDN, November 4, 2004
Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) to consumers is closer to realization than ever as demonstrated by the recent formation of a Wi-Fi/Cellular Convergence working group (WCC) in the Wi-Fi Alliance, which indicates that the many elements needed to bring this technology to reality are beginning to intersect, according to ABI Research.
Further proof is last month’s approval of a set of protocols for seamless handoffs between cellular networks and IP-based wireless networks such as Wi-Fi by the Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) Consortium, the firm said today.
What these activities indicate are industry consortia falling in behind new products from IC vendors and equipment and service providers which are pushing VoWi-Fi from the enterprise to the wider consumer market, offered Phil Solis, senior analyst of wireless connectivity at ABI Research, in a statement.
For example, IC vendor Agere has withdrawn from the general market and is focusing all its efforts on Wi-Fi chips to be embedded in mobile handsets. And Texas Instruments is making Wi-Fi and VoIP ICs, and has produced a reference design to make it easier to build future handsets, Solis noted.
“Embedded Wi-Fi ICs are a growth market with those going into cellular handsets forming a big part,” he added.
In terms of handset vendors, a number of them including Vonage, Net2Phone and Zyxel are readying single VoIP mode cellular handsets for the consumer. Additionally, new dual cellular/VoIP mode models are to be issued from companies like Motorola, which has an enterprise-oriented model in user trials. SBC plans to offer its Cingular customers such a phone in 2006 whereby it will be able to access SBC’s own Wi-Fi hotspots as well as many available via a roaming agreement with Wayport, the Oyster Bay, N.Y. research firm said.
