Facebook denies VOIP rumours

Facebook has no plans to introduce Facebook-branded phones with Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC, following reports that the social network was planning to start a voice-over-Internet protocol (VOIP) service, reports Reuters.

"This is really just another example of a manufacturer who has taken our public application programing interfaces and integrated them into their device in an interesting way," said Dan Rose, head of business development at Facebook.

Mobile is an increasingly important driver of traffic to Facebook, which says 250 million users per month access the social network on mobile devices.

VOIP usage is on the rise, creating significant opportunities for mobile VOIP gateway equipment suppliers, as expenditures in this space are expected to soar beyond the $6 billion mark in 2015, states TMCnet.

This is according to research firm In-Stat, which found that business mobile VOIP users will increase ten-fold over the next five years.

“Mobile VOIP has only recently begun being implemented in the business environment,” says Amy Cravens, In-Stat market analyst. “One of the key benefits of mobile VOIP for enterprises is extending desk phone functionality to mobile devices.”

Australian Communications regulator ACMA has introduced legislative amendments to regulate the phone numbers issued to VOIP customers, says IT News.

Australia's numbering plan has been amended to allow geographic numbers, such as those with 02, 03 or 08 area codes, to be issued to outbound VOIP services. Providers of those services are required to inform customers about the implications of choosing out of area geographic numbers.

ACMA acting chairman, Richard Bean, says: "The implementation of these amendments represents a small but important step in regulatory transition for VOIP and other converged services."