Qualcomm launched chipsets on Friday that will give cell phone users access to Wi-Fi networks so they can make VoIP calls over the Internet and simultaneously transfer data and run web-based applications.

The company’s Mobile Station Modem chipsets will support a wireless local area network (WLAN) module from Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands to offer connections to Wi-Fi networks that support the 802.11b and 802.11g standards.

Cell phones are increasingly competing with portable devices and notebooks equipped with Wi-Fi chips as ways to access the Internet wirelessly. Uniting the two could provide a way for cell phone makers to break into this market, as well as the growing market for VoIP calls.

The chipset will allow mobile phones to employ Wi-Fi technology to connect at speeds up to 54 megabits per second. The broadband capabilities are scheduled to be available by the end of the year.

Qualcomm did not state when mobile phones will be available that use the chipset, or which phone makers will offer the technology.

Those licensing fees could rise if the phone makers and networks decide to leverage the new capabilities. Wireless carriers may also hesitate to surrender any business to the VoIP networks they compete against, unless they can work out a way to charge for the VoIP calls as well.

Nevertheless, the combination of high-speed Internet access and cellular service could provide a powerful incentive for phone makers and carriers to start putting the new chips into their products.

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