Taipei plans citywide Wi-Fi VoIP

200,000 to be making calls by the end of the year

vnunet.com, 10 Jul 2006

The city of Taipei is building a citywide VoIP network that will allow users to make calls on internet-enabled mobile phones.

The Taipei Easy Call project will use the city's WiFly citywide Wi-Fi network to connect the calls.

The mobile phones will be able to switch to VoIP calls when they are within range of the network and use the existing mobile connection at other times.

All of the city's schools and government bodies will be transferred from their current telephone networks to the VoIP system to capitalise on the scheme.

A spokesman for the Taipei Computer Association described the system as unique in that it will be the first to use a VoIP service that covers a whole city.

The Association predicted that up to 200,000 users would sign up for the service by the end of this year.

If the system is successful, it will be rolled out in other cities around the world. Taipei estimates that the project could save the city almost $1m (£540,000) a year.