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Don't focus on the wrong chip!
 Voice-over-IP (VoIP) is nothing new, of course, but so far it's been regarded merely as an add-on to America's regular, analog-based copper and cellular voice networks -- networks that are currently maintained as a matter of legal requirement. The FCC isn't necessarily such a stickler for tradition, however, as it is now encouraging phone networks to explore what would happen if VoIP replaced everything else. In other words, how would the system cope if the only phone numbers were Internet Protocol addresses; if even emergency calls were transmitted over the web; and if remote rural communities became dependent on VoIP, with no other type of network as a backup? Companies that want to participate in the experiment have until late February to submit their ideas, with approvals expected to be granted as early as March -- but don't fear, the tests will only be permitted in "discrete geographic areas or situations," which is the FCC's way of politely reminding telecom providers not to get ahead of themselves. (Source: engadget)
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US data usage to jump eight-fold by 2018
The volume of data crossing U.S. mobile networks is set to increase almost eight-fold by 2018, it has been revealed.
According to a report by Cisco Systems, demand for Internet-connected devices will also skyrocket and US consumers will download and upload more data on their smartphones in 2018 than they did on their laptops in 2013.
By 2018, Cisco predicts that U.S. mobile data traffic will reach 2.7 exabytes a month - equal to the amount of data stored on some 675 million DVDs. In 2013, less than half an exabyte of data crossed U.S. networks on average per month.
Speaking to reporters yesterday Robert Pepper, Cisco's vice president for global technology policy said: "It's more people, more connections, faster speeds on the networks and then more rich content, which in this case is video, video, video."
Cisco, one of the leading makers of networking equipment, studies the use and speed of devices, connections and data for an annual forecast of mobile data traffic trends.
Internet-linked devices will keep spreading at a fast clip, with some 271 million connections between gadgets and the Internet forecast for 2018 - an eight-fold jump from 35 million in 2013 that is driven by the predicted boom in wearable devices like activity-tracking wristband Fitbit, Pepper said.
(Source: Mobile Magazine)
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