Jung admitted that m-VoIP had been disallowed in the past due to fears that it “might act as a disincentive to carriers to make investments and hinder industrial development.”
However, Jung said an “extensive review of the technological environment, customers’ data usage patterns and cases of foreign companies” found that m-VoIP would “have a positive effect on customer retention” by offering greater customer satisfaction.
SK Telecom is the latest of a small but growing number of cellcos who are biting the bullet and allowing VoIP over their mobile networks.
VoIP player Skype has been laboring to change that mindset since November 2009 when it released a study from CCS Insight demonstrating that 3 UK’s partnership with Skype had boosted traditional voice minutes and text messages rather than cannibalize them, and reduced churn in the bargain.
Industry analysts have also been making a case for mobile VoIP. Ovum warned cellcos in a May report that they had more to gain from embracing VoIP than blocking or ignoring it. Frost & Sullivan projects mobile VoIP to generate almost $30 billion by 2015. And Juniper Research says mobile VoIP traffic will double each year between 2010 and 2015.