VoIP Will Kill Off Traditional Landlines In Europe: Report

VoIP will kill off the use of traditional landlines in Europe, due to the appeal of new fixed-mobile telephone services, says two new reports by JupiterResearch.

The research firm found that 27 percent of European consumers already are interested in using their mobile phone instead of their home landlines, and VoIP will increase that percentage. The firm adds that VoIP currently appeals to 17 percent of European consumers.

Driving the move toward mobile VoIP will be new services that will allow home consumers to take their home telephone number with them wherever they go and make calls or listen to messages, says JupiterResearch.

Ian Fogg, lead author on the reports and senior analyst at JupiterResearch, noted in a statement that over time VoIP "will no longer only be available just at home, but also in the office, in Internet cafes, and even on mobile phones. VoIP telephony is attractive to consumers because services are digital, cheap, and flexible."