London Underground gets VOIP

London Underground (LU) passengers could soon be able to access voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) services, reports Telappliant.

BT Openzone has teamed up with LU to roll out a six-month trial of Wi-Fi access at Charing Cross station.

From 1 November, consumers will be able to use their laptops and mobile phones to connect to a wireless network while underground. This could enable users to access IP telephony solutions at the Tube stop and allow customers to make VOIP calls where there is no network coverage.

VoX Communications and Nimbuzz are rolling out a VOIP application for Android, which will allow the Android owner to make cheap long distance calls from their mobile phones, states TMCnet.

Nimbuzz partner, Pervasip CIO Mark Richards says: “This gives them a second phone number, a second voicemail box and low-priced VOIP calling plans that run over both the 3G and Wi-Fi networks. We see reports of daily sales for approximately 200 000 Android phones.”

According to the market research firm, In-Stat, the number of Mobile VOIP users will approach 300 million by 2013, opening the gates for generating revenue from VoIP applications.

VOIP and IP service provider MyNetFone is rolling out mobile VOIP services for the iPhone, Android and Symbian operating systems, says Good Gear Guide.

The iPhone version is available free from the Apple app store, but requires a subscription to a MyNetFone VOIP account.

MyNetFone technical director Rene Sugo says the company is well-placed to benefit from the upswing in 3G take-up in Australia. “We anticipate a high take-up rate of this app,” he notes.