Voice over IP (VoIP) has gained significant momentum in recent years and now has a prominent place in the mobile ecosystem, forcing mobile network providers to take a different stance towards this technology.

The changing bargaining power

While mobile voice still remains the cash cow for network carriers, in the EU in particularly there are signs of stagnation and growth is now primarily driven by data revenues and the sales of Smartphones. The need to upgrade text and voice users to Smartphones and data plan deals has shifted the balance of power amongst the forces that define the competitive landscape in the mobile sector.