TheMobile World Congress is the perfect stage for operators to launch their own over-the-top (OTT) voice-over-IP (VoIP) services, telecoms analysts and journalists claim.
A study by Kineto Wireless reveals 89% of press and analysts registered for the event would like to see carrier-branded Wi-Fi services in place alongside 3G networks, to simplify connection and ensure security. Some 80% stated they would offload voice calls to Wi-Fi, mainly to get round high roaming fees, with the same proportion stating they actively seek out hotspots during the event.
The findings also reveal general dissatisfaction with the level of Wi-Fi coverage offered in previous Mobile World Congresses, with 69% branding availability poor.
Steve Shaw, Kineto’s marketing vice president, predicts the situation will be much improved at the 2012 event, noting that “all of the major carriers have a Wi-Fi strategy.”
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