Availability and Options in Australia

VoIP is yet to become widely adopted in Australia despite various service options being available. This is likely to change in the near future as both individuals and businesses become more educated as to what options are available and how to access them.

The Major Players
One of the reasons for the slow take-up is that the costs from the major providers haven’t dropped sufficiently in Australia to this point. However, the nature of VoIP means that it’s a world-wide product which is accessible through the internet. Accordingly, there are numerous options accessible all around the world to use VoIP.

In Australia, Telstra has been trialling VoIP services over the last year with several multinational companies. It has also announced that it intends to offer VoIP to broadband customers in 2005. They also have indicated that they may start converting their old network to VoIP over the longer term due to likely cost savings.

Some of the major ISP’s have also started offering limited VoIP services. Swiftbroadband for example have begun offering services to its customers located in areas of Western Australia and NSW.

The issue for consumers is that a DSL connection is still required to access most of the current service options. Therefore, it is not anticipated that VoIP will replace the existing phone system in the short to medium term and will more likely be treated as a second phone line. Wireless networks, such as those developed by Unwired and Swiftbroadband which cover most of the Sydney area, will allow VoIP users to avoid the existing Telstra network. There are still problems with doing this at the moment though with issues such as dialling emergency 000 numbers.

Software and Hardware
While there are many provides now offering VoIP services, consumers still need to decide on the various software and hardware solutions that are available. Even within the hardware category there are various types of PC-based hardware, self-contained hardware, different phone types, adaptors and gateways. The various types of hardware may also not be compatible with the service provided by different providers so careful consideration of the most suitable option is required.

Different VoIP Services
When considering any possible VoIP services, it is also important to recognise the different types offered, namely:

• Computer to Computer
• Computer to Phone
• SIP to SIP (relates to a particular VoIP standard)
• Phone to Phone

Resources
The VoIP market is changing rapidly in Australia as more service providers and options become available. Details of the various service options available can be found at:

• OzInternetPhones
• OzVoIP

Another good source to keep up with the changing technology and service options is to check out the various forums available. A great example can be found at Whirlpool.net.au.

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