|
The Strategy and Policy
Unit (SPU)
held a ITU New Initiatives
Programme workshop on
The Future of Voice, which focused on the role
of the voice in the future ubiquitous network environment.
For a long time, voice services have been the principal
driver of
telecommunication revenue
and will probably continue to drive
demand
for some time.
Nevertheless,
it
is becoming harder to sustain traditional models of
per-minute pricing for voice as the service is increasingly
carried over data channels that are priced on a flat-rate
basis.
Some
of the key issues discussed during the event include:
How are voice services
evolving
and what does this mean for users, providers and the
telecommunication industry as a whole?
How will fixed, mobile and internet-based phone services
converge?
How does messaging, gaming, multimedia fit in?
Are voice services of the future most likely to be billed by
the minute,
by
volume, or on a flat rate basis?
What
regulatory freedom should be given to operators to bundle
voice with other services (e.g., multiple play: voice,
video, internet and mobility)?
What
form of licensing, if any, will be necessary for voice
service providers?
What will be the new business models and revenue streams?
What are the
residual universal service obligations (e.g. emergency
calls) that should be imposed on voice providers?
|
