I need current statistics (not projections) on how many people
actually use VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) online.  This would
include people using 'voice chat' on messenger programs like Yahoo,
MSN and others, as well as other programs that allow people to talk
'computer to computer'.  Note, I'm only interested in current
statisics ... no more than 12 months old ... and I'm not interested in
projections ... there are lots of projections out there ... and most
of them have been way off.   Also please limit your search to VoIP
where people are talking 'computer to computer' over Internet
connections.  I am not
interested in 'Internet to phone' communications.   Please get your
information from the most authortative and unbiased sources possible
... meaning choose universities, government agencies and trade
associations before you refer me to statistics on a commercial web
site ... particularly if that commercial site is selling VoIP
software.  Thanks, any help would be appreciated.

---

Clarification of Question by coffmanfyi-ga on 10 Jun 2002 18:37 PDT

In response to the comment below ... regarding purchasing a market
research report.  No, I'm not interested in purchasing a $1000 (or
more) market research report.  I am intererested in an indication of
the numbers of people really using VoIP out there right now.  The data
dosen't need to be consistant ... I'll be happy for any information,
even if it does not necessarily agree.   I have found some data on
call center association sites ... but I'm looking for more.  Hope this
helps ....

This was a tough one!  I'm providing some information below from that
$1,000 dollar study everyone mentions.  But first, a comment:  much of
the current VoIP use is corporate -- for instance, Lloyd's of London
uses VoIP for computer to computer and internet phone service.  This
makes it virtually imposssible to (a) count the number of people using
the service (since the customer is the corporation, not the
individual) and (b) makes it unlikely that anyone can tease out the
computer to computer, vs computer to phone vs phone to phone type of
differences in use.

I wrestled with whether to provide this data as an answer or a
comment, and finally decided on the former, since I think this is the
best info available.  However, if you're unhappy with the results,
then by all means, let me know through your rating, or by rejecting
the answer (it hurts, but I can take it!).

Anyway, here's what I got (from non-internet sources, so there's no
search strategy to speak of):

The International Herald Tribune for January 28, 2002 has an article
on "Has Internet Phone Service Come of Age?"

"In a study released in November, TeleGeography, a Washington-based
research firm, estimated that VoIP would account for 10 billion
minutes of phone time in 2001, up from 5.3 billion minutes in 2000.
The firm predicted that VoIP would account for 6 percent of all
international voice traffic in 2001, up from 3 percent in 2000 and 1.6
billion minutes in 1999. Nowhere has it had a greater impact than in
the Asia-Pacific region, which TeleGeography said accounted for 41
percent of the world's VoIP traffic."

A magazine called Utility Business ran an article in November 2001
that included a list of top VoIP companies:

Leading International VoIP Carriers                         
Company                                      Minutes        
ITXC Inc.                                    366 million    
Princeton, N.J.                                             
Net2Phone Inc.                               230 million    
Newark, N.J.                                                
iBasis Inc.                                  205 million    
Burlington, Mass.                                           
deltathree.com Inc.                          130 million    
New York, N.Y                                               
Wherever.Net                                 46 million     
Hong Kong, China                                            
Genuity Inc.                                 30 million     
Burlington, Mass.                            


I hope this is useful information for you.  

Dave

Tough job to find really consistent data for you. Some data I could
locate could be allright, but these information are sold and not
available for free. I donī t know if you are prepared to pay some
1,000 $ or more for this information.
till-ga