VoIP threatens wireline voice revenues

Research firm In-Stat reported that the nearly $16 billion expected to be spent by small business on wireline voice services by 2015 may be reduced by increasing use of VoIP services.

Hospitality and food businesses will spend the most on wireline voice services, about$2 billion by 2012, according to In-Stat’s “US Business Spending by Size of Business and Vertical, 2010-2015: Wireline Voice Services” report.

But technologies like VoIP, which cuts the costs of international long distance communications, may cut into wireline voice services, according to the report.

In-Stat reported that toll-free service expenditures will increase by $134 million over the five-year forecast period. Enterprise spending in the government segment will reach $4.7 billion by 2015 while SOHO will spend $267 million on other services in 2015, which includes audio-conferencing services, outbound calling services, and pre-paid calling, according to the report.