Telecom company VoIP-Pal.com has agreed to acquire intellectual property holder Digifonica Gibraltar, owner of five major VoIP patents related to network-based technologies and processes.

Digifonica's software-focused patent portfolio should help VoIP-Pal.com customers create virtual network coverage across local neighborhoods, cities and even countries – depending on each carrier's needs and budget. Digifonica's technologies are capable of scaling over multiple network servers in multiple countries worldwide.

In addition to providing enhanced network functionality, the war chest of patents will help carriers meet or exceed forthcoming regulatory and legal requirements, according to VoIP-Pal.com.

"Revenues from this newly acquired patent portfolio will be derived from applying the technology to our own operations, future royalties through licensing agreements, and a white label program," said Dennis Chang, President of VoIP-Pal.Com. "A conservative estimate shows that potential royalty income alone from the Digifonica Gibraltar patents may exceed $200 million per year for VoIP-Pal."

Under the terms of the deal, VoIP-Pal has acquired 100-percent ownership of Digifonica Gibraltar and its patent portfolio. Digifonica Gibraltar is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Voip-Pal.Com.

Global revenues for VoIP services increased 16 percent in 2011 to $58 billion, powered by a huge uptick in SIP trunk spending and increased demand for cloud-based and unified communication services, according to a recent report from Infonetics Research. Mobile VoIP subscribers will near 410 million by 2015.

The highest-rated North American hosted VoIP service provider for 2011 was Comcast, chiefly due to its recent acquisition of New Global Telecom, a former perennial leader in the business VoIP arena, according to a separate study from Infonetics. The nation's largest cable operator earned a 33 out of a possible 35 points for its hosted VoIP services, finishing ahead of West, Verizon and 8x8 as the top provider in North America.