Dual-Mode Cell Phones: A Threat to Wireless Carriers?

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

6:00 am on August 21, 2006 | Category: Mobile Devices, Wi-Fi, Cell Phones

Dual-mode cell phones, capable of seamlessly switching between cellular and Wi-Fi networks, are beginning to appear on the horizon, helped along by handset makers like Nokia.

Although these dual-mode phones don’t pose much immediate threat to established wireless carriers, there seems little doubt that they will chip away at revenues after becoming mainstream. Customers will eventually be able to reduce their cell phone bills by switching onto a VoIP network whenever they step into a Wi-Fi hotspot.

And as wireless broadband networks become more prevalent, covering entire cities in some cases, cell phone carriers will need to innovate to stay in the game. If they hope to profit from this technological shift, they will ultimately have to accept the change and find their own way into the wireless VoIP market.