WiFi phone market doubling each year

… and still more one-glance-graphics indicating the state of play in the telecommunications space. The worldwide WiFi phone market increased 116% between 2004 and 2005 to US$125.5 million, and is projected to more than double in 2006 as enterprises and consumers slowly but steadily continue deploying voice over wireless LANs, according to a new survey. The survey estimates that WiFi phone revenue will double, almost triple, every year through 2009, when it will reach US$3.7 billion. Initially an enterprise application, VoWLAN will eventually become more popular with consumers as well, having enormous growth potential as part of a VoIP service bundled with broadband connections.

"Single-mode WiFi VoIP handsets continue to penetrate the enterprise market, and with D-Link, Linksys, and NETGEAR all launching products, we expect increasing adoption in the consumer market, too," said Richard Webb, directing wireless analyst with Infonetics Research.

"But the real growth will come from dual-mode WiFi/cellular handsets," Webb continued. "With the increased activity from both fixed and mobile operators to deliver dual-mode services to the mass market, often as part of a more far-reaching fixed-mobile convergence strategy, the long-term forecast for dual-mode WiFi/cellular handsets is strong, assuming these handsets come down in price to sub-100 dollars or euros."

Highlights of the report:

SpectraLink leads the overall WiFi phone revenue market in 2005, followed by Cisco and Motorola Total WiFi phone units grew 151% between 2004 and 2005 and will grow 182% between 2005 and 2006 58% of WiFi phone revenue came from single-mode WiFi VoIP handsets in 2005, 42% from dual-mode handsets; by 2009, 91% of revenue will come from dual-mode handsets 49% of dual-mode WiFi/cellular handset revenue came from Asia Pacific, 27% from North America, 22% EMEA, 2% CALA in 2005, but this shifts dramatically by 2009, when much more revenue will be generated in EMEA