07 March 2007

Long distance is expensive in China, which is making voice over IP (VoIP) a big hit there, according to In-Stat.

Broadband VoIP subscribers who get their service from telecom carriers are estimated to number 9.53 million by the end of 2011, up from 720,000 in 2006. Both standard VoIP service and IP-based calling cards are selling briskly.

Only traditional service providers are allowed to legally provide broadband VoIP in China, but demand is so great that an illegal option already has over a million subscribers.