Loads of folk don't want free phone services

According to The Times, the services, offered by groups such as Skype and Tesco, are only used by a small minority, says Ofcom. Only 17 per cent of adults asked if they used the services replied positively, while only 14 per cent of people asked said that they prefer to use the service over more conventional methods.

The uptake, however, is increasing, with an estimated 2.4 million households across the UK having used a VoIP service. Ofcom reckons that the technology is still stuck in that "early-adopter phase."

VoIP has had a positive reaction abroad - France and the Netherlands are both almost hitting a 30 per cent mark in households that have used the services.

Independent research indicates that the low takings may come from users being put off by reports of poor quality calls - though, as a Skype user, I've found this rarely to be the case. Researchers also believe that the inconvenience of having to go through a computer to make a call could put some off, even though that's somewhat ideal for us geeks stuck here all day. µ

L'INQ
The Times