This study on the social and cultural impact of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in developing countries shows that the percentage of traditional telephony systems in developing countries currently migrating to VoIP is negligible and the combination of obstacles of natural and inevitable elements can continue to impede migration, make transition slow and negligible. According to this study, the use of the Internet in Nigeria for business, correspondence, banking, governance, instant messaging and gaming in the past five years has increased rapidly and people especially the educated are depending more on the Internet as a major source of communication. However, pertinent issues like network security, privacy, content management, incessant power outages and synchronized application delivery must be addressed in other to engender an effective and efficient system. Another factor to consider in the transition to IP-based communications and media services in developing countries is the monopoly of the traditional telecommunication industry by the government and the difficulty in implementing change in the society. The consumption shift and consumer demands in the developing world have engineered the need for a convergence of technology solutions to telecommunication in the developing countries, for instance in Nigeria the rate at which Internet telephony is impacting on the call pattern of people for International calls is intriguing and progressively captivating. The quantum leap in this area compared to what used to be a mere 5 years ago is nothing short of a 'leap-frogging' by this nation from obsolete communication technology to cutting edge technology without a transition. This study has been able to identify that the transition to full Internet Protocol (IP) in telephony in developing countries can only be achieved if major players like policy makers and regulators work in unison with service providers and vendors to ensure a probable solution to IP-based converged services. The salutary role of the private sector in such an initiative will remain crucial for expected results to be achieved. It also identified that today's world is shaped by availability of information and ability to communicate, both of which are enabled through the advancement of the computer as a hub of our everyday existence.
展开▼
