VoIP set to take off in Asia-Pacific

VoIP set to take off in Asia-Pacific

SINGAPORE: Telephone calls using Internet technology are set for phenomenal growth in the Asia-Pacific region, a market research report said on Tuesday.

Calls over the Internet, or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), are cheaper than ordinary ones and have been improving in quality, said International Data Corporation (IDC).

VoIP revenues in the region excluding Japan are expected to hit US$14.3 billion in 2006 compared to $1 billion last year, with China accounting for the bulk, IDC said.

"VoIP services in the Asia-Pacific have come of age and are no longer just considered as being of poor quality," said Renee Gamble, IDC's program manager, in a statement.

The report noted Singapore has been one of the area's early leaders in adopting VoIP services, accounting for about 25 per cent of the region's total VoIP revenue last year.

Growth here is expected to slow in the years ahead as the market is already regarded as mature.