Residential VoIP To Boom To 44 Million Users: Report

Residential VoIP subscribers will skyrocket from 10.3 million today to 44 million in 2010, according to a new report from market research firm IDC. The report forecasts that VoIP will be used in 62% of broadband households by 2010.

The growth will be accelerated by increased broadband penetration, and consumers becoming increasingly comfortable with VoIP and other new communications technologies, the report contends.

Trends driving VoIP adoption will be mobility, simplicity, and a need for on-demand telephony, the report says. Simple setup requirements will make consumers more comfortable with the technology, and the ability to access IP telephony not just at home, but while traveling will be a driver as well.

IDC sees significant market potential for service providers able to tap into the burgeoning demand. "For those that are able to tweak their service offering to fit the ever changing tastes of the mass market, the potential growth opportunity is huge," Will Stofega, research manager for IDC's VoIP Services program, said in a statement.