¡¡LOS ANGELES, April 4 (Xinhuanet) -- US subscribers to residential Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services will grow from 3 million in 2005 to 27 million by the end of 2009, high-tech marketresearch firm IDC projected on Monday.

    "Residential Voice over Internet Protocol has clearly come intoits own in the US as major telecommunications carriers begin to roll out VoIP service offerings to give themselves a competitive edge, " IDC said in a study released today.

    IDC experts also attributed the expected fast growth of VoIP services partly to consumers looking to add value to their telephony service.

    Although it has been slow to develop in the US and elsewhere, IDC said, VoIP is finally beginning to show its potential in the consumer market.

    The high-tech market research firm believes that much of the recent success in the US market is the result of marketing VoIP services on the basis of price.

    "Carriers will need to educate residential users on the features and functions of VoIP service to avoid a pricing war," IDC suggested, adding that integrating applications and enabling convergence are critical capabilities that carriers will need to offer in the years ahead.

    William Stofega, a senior analyst with IDC, warned that VoIP must prove that it is more than just a cheap replacement for traditional telephone service.

    "To do this, carriers will need to offer services that are compelling and affordable," Stofega said. Enditem