Home Wifi phones to get cheaper

CSR VoIP module could boost trend away from dial-up links

UK-based Cambridge Silicon Radio, (CSR) has developed a design for a VoIP handset, known as the Univox, which operates independently of a PC, connecting to directly a router over a Wifi connection.

Calls may be made through any VoIP provider which adheres to the SIP standard. This does not include Skype, the world's leading VoIP service.

The Univox, which has a total cost of materials of just $20, is a reference design intended for other manufactures to build a product rounnd. Products using it will be release in the second quarter of next year.

It has also been designed with an emphasis on reduced battery usage; it can sustain 20 hours talk time and 400 hours standby time.

Newer broadband routers have enhanced power saving capabilities and the Univox can take advantage of these features which will see it sleep when not actively communicating with the router.

CSR envisages the Univox, which will be release early next year, as a replacement for regular home cordless phones which currently use the DECT standard for the wireless link. 

Simon Finch, Vice President at CSR, believes that “the primary phone in the house may in the future be a combined SIP and GSM [cellular] one but people will still need a cheap and cheerful alternative left in the house: the Univox.”

The Univox supports WEP and WPA encryption but as its memory is limited it won’t be able to support multiple profiles. As such it’s intended to be used with one Wifi network. CSR is building another phone which will have larger memory capacity and increased functionality to be released sometime next year.

CSR, whose headquarters are located in Cambridge’s Silicon Fen, is best known for its Bluetooth chips which account for 50 per cent of the worldwide market.