Will 2006 be declared as the year of the VoIP phone?

The latest to boost confidence in this direction is 3Com: 3Com's 3108 Wireless Telephone has just gained FCC approval. The 3Com 3108 is a 802.11 b/g WLAN VoIP telephone based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). With the 3108, you won't have to worry about what your called party has on the other end: it could be another 3108 or the good old rotary-dial phone.

The 3108 features nine configurable speed-dial numbers, an external 2.4GHz antenna and a local phone book that can be accessed on the 1.8" color LCD. One of the neat features of this phone is that its firmware can be remotely upgraded over Wi-Fi.

The phone is compatible with SIP v2 signaling protocol (RFC-3261) and allows you to access email (SMS is optional). 3Com claims an operational distance of 20-50m indoors or 250m outdoors (at 11Mbps, in line-of-sight area). No word on pricing or availability.