10 August 2006

U.S. subscribers to Internet-based telephone services grew 21 percent, to 6.9 million, in the second quarter, with cable TV companies expanding their lead in market share compared with Vonage and other pure-play providers, research firm TeleGeography reported Wednesday.

The latest tally on voice over Internet protocol, better known as VoIP, marks a 153 percent gain compared with mid-2005. But the second-quarter increase was slightly slower than in the first quarter, when it grew by 28 percent, TeleGeography said.