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European Voice over Wireless LAN Services Markets- Disrupting Service Provider Revenues
Frost & Sullivan, May 2005
Ratification of Various 802.11 Standards Critical to VoWLAN Adoption in Europe
2005 promises to be an exciting year for voice over wireless local area network (VoWLAN). With the introduction of dual-mode handsets and the expected ratification of various 802.11 standards, VoWLAN can potentially overcome its technical limitations and truly establish itself as a viable alternative voice solution. Currently, many market participants are evaluating the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) emerging 802.11e standard that aims to bring quality of service (QoS) to WLANs. Once this standard is ratified, it will be supported on both the access points and client devices, thereby allowing interoperability between various vendors’ products. The IEEE is also working on the 802.11r standard to address another key VoWLAN challenge - the need to achieve a hand-off time of 30-50ms between various access points to provide seamless roaming coverage. The 802.11r standard aims to make this possible through faster algorithms and pre-authentication techniques.
This Frost & Sullivan research service will provide an in-depth analysis of the prospects for deploying VoWLAN in Europe in both consumer and enterprise markets and forecasts the revenue loss for both the fixed and mobile carriers due to the impact of VoWLAN. It also provides revenue forecasts for VoWLAN solutions and client devices.
Partnerships Abound between Key Participants across VoWLAN Value Chain
Partnerships are expected to play a defining role in the European VoWLAN market as it is unlikely that a single vendor will be able to provide a complete VoWLAN solution today. The recent acquisitions and collaborations across various channels in the VoWLAN value chain suggest that companies are beginning to view VoWLAN as a cost-effective solution offering the dual benefits of mobile voice and data to their customers.
Going forward, partnerships between participants will be common as vendors strive to offer a holistic solution that conforms to the IEEE standards and is certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, thereby promoting interoperability, says the analyst. Since interoperability is a critical success factor for the VoWLAN market in Europe, this growing trend of partnerships spells good news.
Demand for VoWLAN on the Rise
For the many enterprises that have installed Wi-Fi networks, it seems to make immense sense to integrate voice as a natural progression. The cellular and WLAN markets are increasingly converging as companies attempt to meet this user demand with phones that can handle voice and data traffic in both wireless networks for maximum productivity. Vendors are introducing client devices based either on UMA or IMS SIP based solutions that would seamlessly switch calls from cellular networks to cheaper Wi-Fi networks and vice-versa, remarks the analyst. Wi-Fi calling, therefore, has the potential to decrease calling costs and consequently, have an impact on traditional voice carrier revenues.
Although the admittedly high-priced handsets could hinder initial uptake in the consumer market, they are likely to gain ground more rapidly in the enterprise market, as the enterprise-grade pure Wi-Fi handsets are more favourably priced.
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