What is the possibility/probability of wireless voip?

On the consumer end, Apple's new iPhone 4 has FaceTime which is video calling, but amounts to wireless VoIP when you click the "home button" and turn off the video.

If Apple's got it in a consumer product, it's arrived.

Wow! Wireless VoIP exists, and I personally use it quite often via WiFi and HSDPA. Skype is a great example of VoIP. I also use a 3rd party SIP provider and a softphone, over WiFi and LAN for making VoIP calls when I'm on the road.

It was marketing hype a few years ago to say "wireless VoIP" but it doesn't really mean much. Today it is everywhere. You could even argue your mobile telephone is Voice over IP if the network operator uses IP for routing calls.

A guy recently developed a mobile backpack that powers a satellite link for mobile communications. He developed it primarily for SAR and support roles after a crisis to aid communication between the affected area and aid agencies for example. That too used VoIP.

We have deployed wireless VoIP successfully for the last two years with satellite BGAN & WiFi on Windows notebook computers, and with Windows Mobile on on 3G GSM & WiFi. We now have 3G GSM & WiFi on BlackBerry 9000 & 9700. All of these implementation communicate on specific SIP servers, and all of these are implemented with AES 256 encryption for voice, chat messaging, and file transfer.

More information is available at http://mykryptofon.com/.

The whole mobile communication industry including service provider companies have to change the tech strategy and business models. Wireless VoIP and M2M consumer data communication is not a problem, and attracts certainly consumers. We have developed the tech strategy, technology and the consumer mobile devices already, which are very competitive and definitely in an affordable price range. Further, fashionable design and easy to operate are the key factors, including full Internet access, what means no extra payable service for content offered by provider companies is required.

Hi Rick!
I'm happy to report that this idea/technology is not only alive and well...but more awesome than you can imagine! My company is currently launching it's latest Voip/Video phone that will be wireless capable by year-end. The phone is shipping mid-July and when they have all the "stuff" ready to go, the phone will be updated via your internet connection and you will be able to have it run as a wireless device utilizing it's USB port. If you you'd like to take a look at this awesome phone, here's a link, and feel free to contact me directly if you have any additional questions!
http://budurl.com/IRIS5Specifications

VoIP is a today standard technology even in the mobile communication industry.

This market has been evolving in a scattershot fashion rather than in a straight line. A couple of cell carriers, AT&T and T-Mobile, have been at the forefront of promoting such services. So if you are using their cell services, you may be able to take advantage of it. In other cases, carriers have been moving slowly because they do not have much to offer in terms of Wi-Fi services. Funneling traffic off of their networks does not benefit them.

On the premises side, equipment is available, so companies can build their own Wi-Fi/cellular networks. However, many businesses have found that ROI cases have been lacking. It has been hard for companies to determine how much these new networks will save them because cellular voice and data plans have been rapidly changing. In sum, it is taking hold but more slowly than anticipated a few years ago.

Rick,
Let me try this approach. VoIP is an application that requires an IP infrastructure. To be a part of comprehensive voice solution it needs the underlying control protocols and services (Voice Mail, conferencing) that would allow carriers to offer it as a service. Even over 3G networks CS Voice, that is circuit voice is the predominant mode of operation. That is a function both of the handsets and the mobile infrastructure.
All mobile networks are evolving to Long Term Evolution (LTE, as Jon Arnold mentioned above). LTE promises an end-to-end IP solution. It is interesting to note however that LTE in its initial incarnations will still be supporting mostly CS voice. IMS Voice or VoLTE will be fully specified in the advanced LTE spec in March of 2011 and AT&T announced today(Oct 21, 2010) that they will support VoLTE on their networks in 2013. When VoLTE is offered on the network and you have a VoLTE enabled handset you will then be able to have an end to end VoIP call across an media, copper, fiber, RF (Wireless) and you will be able to use your phone inside of office buildings and your home and have the same service and have it anywhere in the world. The specifications are being completed; the infrastructure equipment is being manufactured. tested and installed by the carriers who are putting up the money.

Here is a qote from the 3GPP site which hosts and manages the LTE spec development process:
"A key consideration to recognize is that under LTE, voice is just one of many potential media streams that can be communicated. A packet based network and VoIP allows this flexibility while still providing efficient use of radio and network resources.
However, 3GPP recognizes that adoption of both LTE and IMS will not occur overnight. For this reason 3GPP provided a transition solution for voice called CS Fallback. This allows a LTE device to drop back to the legacy 3G or 2G network if IMS VoIP capabilities are not supported. This is viewed as an interim solution to ease the transition to IMS and VoIP."

So yes VoIP over wireless is alive and well, but it will take a few more years for its promise to be fully realized.

Ivan Sindell
President
Global Communications Systems Research, Inc.
www.gcsr.com
Alexandria, VA 22314