VoIP Subscriptions Continue Growth

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently issued their report on Voice Telephone Services: Status as of December 31, 2016, which showed continued growth of VoIP and mobile subscriptions and a decline in subscribership to traditional wired telephone services.

For the three-year period from December 2013 through December 2016, VoIP subscriptions showed annual growth of 10%, while mobile subscriptions grew 3% per year and retail switched access lines declined 12% per year.

Telephone subscriber growth by type

In December 2016, mobile phone subscriptions were 73.8% of total subscriptions, with VoIP at 13.7% and retail switched access lines at 12.6%. VoIP subscriptions overtook retail switched access lines for the first time in the last six months of 2016.

Telephone subscriber share by type