i3forum, a not-for-profit industry body enabling and accelerating transformation across the carrier ecosystem, has revealed the impact of lockdowns and quarantines caused by COVID-19 on international voice traffic via i3forum Insights, its market database for international voice services. International Voice Traffic

i3forum Insights, powered by TeleGeography, showed a 20% increase in international voice traffic in March 2020, compared to the same month in 2019, while roaming traffic dropped by 30%. The average length of calls increased by more than 30% in March and over 60% in April 2020 compared to 2019.

“Changing user behaviors, resulting from the move to remote working and “stay at home” orders, have had an immediate impact on the international voice market. i3forum Insights has seen an initial spike in traffic in March, followed by a return to regular traffic volumes in April, albeit with different patterns as people have adapted to new social and working situations. What is striking is the growth in call duration. Calls are longer, and that compensated for the decline in the number of calls,” said Philippe Millet, Chairman of i3forum. “The first half of 2020 has really shown the value that traditional voice delivers in challenging times. It remains critical for businesses and consumers.”

The comprehensive market database for international voice services provides participating carriers with new visibility, insights, and data from across the industry. Contributors to the database include BICS, BTS, iBasis, Orange, PCCW Global, Tata Communications, Sparkle, Telefónica International Wholesale Services, and Telstra. The database provides intelligence on more than 17,400 destinations.

“The nine carriers currently using the platform have generated over 1,200 logins to the platform per month. This demonstrates that despite the companies operating remotely, i3forum Insights is well embedded into operational processes. Users connect frequently with an average of 10 logins per user per month, showing the platform’s intensive use and support for carriers’ day-to-day businesses,” added Millet. “Users of i3forum Insights are seeing these trends and are able to use this intelligence to optimize their businesses and better serve their customers.”

i3forum Insights works by carriers uploading their voice traffic data into the system and comparing the data with the rest of the market. All data provided is fully anonymized and remains 100% confidential. The platform, based on i3forum requirements, was developed and is operated by TeleGeography, experts in managing large data sets in the carrier industry. Users can check new data against the latest figures from other anonymous participants and pull data to create custom reports. International Voice Traffic