WASHINGTON, D.C.--Broadband wireless equipment vendor SOMA Networks said at the WCA 2005 conference it has completed VoIP interoperability testing with Broadsoft, one of the leading VoIP applications software firms. Separately, Broadsoft also said it has been making progress marketing its Broadworks platform to wholesalers that serve wireless ISPs that are increasingly interested in offering VoIP services.

SOMA claimed it is the first vendor of broadband wireless access gear to test interoperability with the Broadworks platform. Both Broadsoft and SOMA both are speaking on a panel at the conference titled "Implementing a Long-Term VoIP Profit Model."

In regard to Broadsoft's progress with VoIP wholesalers, the company has seen its platform used by CommPartners to provide VoIP services for Nextweb and WhisperTEL, and by Ecuity Advanced Communications to provide services to Azulstar, the company operatiing a metro Wi-Fi network in Rio Rancho, N.M.

A recent In-Stat report suggested that VoIP increasingly will be a requirement for attracting new subscribers and improving competitive differential among WISPs. For NextWeb, the service, still in its early stages, is being used to extend another new offering to existing business customers, according to Graham Barnes, CEO of NextWeb.

"In some ways, VoIP is just another application for us," Barnes said. We're anticipating that those customers who want it will also be buying extra bandwidth from us to support it."

Though Barnes didn't dictate a VoIP applications platform for CommPartners to use to support its service, he said, "That was one of the reasons why we chose CommPartners--they had a strong underlying infrastructure."

Both NextWeb's service in California and Nevada, and WhisperTEL's service in Colorado for SOHO customers, are being delivered over networks that are evolving to WiMAX technology.

"The business case for WiMAX dramatically improves with the addition of voice services," said Keith Nissen, analyst for In-Stat, in a statement. "With its growing presence in the wireless industry, BroadSoft is proving how rapidly and effectively VoIP and IP multimedia applications can enhance competitive positioning, escalate broadband revenue models and deliver the kind of feature abundance that assures customer loyalty."