Almost 8% of US households Use Broadband And VoIP Phones

Over nine million US households now contain at least one person who uses voice over internet protocol (VoIP), according to new research. A full 7.9 per cent of households use broadband-based phone services, with many reporting more than one service, technology research firm In-Stat found. Using its new Residential VoIP Tracker Service, the firm can access quarterly summaries of trends and usage patterns. Time Warner and Vonage are currently leading the pack of companies which provide broadband phone services, the research showed.

Vonage alone supplies 1.7 million households with VoIP, and the ubiquitous Skype service boasts 2.1 million active households. And a full 49 per cent of those who use VoIP services reported that they had discontinued their traditional phone service soon after. The survey also found that half of those using residential VoIP use it either all the time of some of the time for work-related purposes.

Meanwhile, the use of videoconferencing is also set to expand in 2007, according to Dave Passmore, an analyst at the Burton Group. Cheaper cameras and the growth of instant messaging will make using the medium more popular that it has been in the past, he said.

Broadband National (BBN) a nationwide comparative shopping Web site for broadband products and services, utilizes their unique IBIS technology to give users a chance to choose broadband and VoIP service providers based on a number of factors. The IBIS system compares services from over 50 local, regional, and national providers including Comcast, AT&T, Sprint, Vonage, Time Warner, Verizon and SunRocket.

“Companies benefit through our service as well since the cost of going through Broadband National is far cheaper than traditional sales channels,” states BBN EVP of Marketing Mark Weibel. “It’s great for customers, because the savings which companies see are reflected in the offerings which customers receive. Lower pricing, free equipment, installation management, and other benefits are pretty common.”

Visitors to Broadband National’s site simply enter their current phone number to view a list of competitive service pricing plans. The site works for business customers as well. According to Weibel, the convenience is essential in today’s confusing broadband services market. The company is also beginning to offer the same type of service in other areas, such as home security, automation, music, videos and gaming. Visit www.broadbandnational.com