VoIP in Africa
Sep
29
2008
The Wall Street Journal has published an article today about the growth of VoIP in Africa. Research and Markets has a full study available for purchase, but the Wall Street Journal reported some highlights.
Most significantly, the growth of VoIP is stunning, with the study reporting over 100% growth in VoIP usage per year. VoIP makes a lot of sense in Africa, where affordable long distance telephony is a problem and much of the existing infrastructure is government owned and regulated. To wit, VoIP is illegal in 36 African countries, because it is driving down the prices for traditional phone calls over the existing PSTN. There are VoIP providers that operate completely illegally, which says a lot for the demand. The Global Technology Forum has an article detailing which countries had legalized VoIP as of March 2007.
Can VoIP change the world? It certainly seems so.
- charlotte's blog
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Other firewalled countries...
The same is true for some Central American countries. Belieze, for one, blocks all SIP and IAX traffic to/from the country. Even if the traffic is on non-standard ports, they sniff it out and drop it on the floor. They have the deadly combination of a government run data and phone network. They get to control everything in and out of the country. Strangely, unlike many firewalled countries, it is not done for censorship, but for profit. Not sure which is worse...
VoIP in the not for profit world
I just read this great article on TechSoup:
http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/networks/page10554.cfm
It outlines the benefits of VoIP for non profits:
What VoIP Can Mean for Nonprofits and NGOs
here's an excerpt
For budget- and cost-conscious organizations, if free long distance may not necessarily be the main draw to a VoIP system, why should you consider it? The same reasons why companies and corporations would:
Scalability:
By and large, adding another user, voice mailbox or an IP phone or Ethernet phone (ephone) is just as simple as adding a computer to the network. For nonprofits that experience above-average turnover, by being able to set up and manage users in a timely fashion so they can perform their duties, the cost savings may be realized sooner than expected.
Centralized administration:
If phone service and voice support are integral parts of your operations — for instance, a client-oriented human services agency — having a reliable and flexible phone system would ensure that you will provide the best quality of service to your clients. In addition, you may be better able to track and collect call data for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
Increased productivity:
From a user’s perspective, having voice mailboxes that can be integrated with the rest of your messaging infrastructure will allow for better productivity. With software-based phones, or “softphones,” that are tied in with the rest of your communications system, users, too, can have greater control over their messages. Moreover, compared to a traditional phone network, you are more likely to be able to alter the phone network to match your processes and work styles. This can be particularly useful for organizations that have ad-hoc workgroups and arrangements based on seasonal campaigns or a combination of staff, volunteers and consultants.