An ongoing pilot scheme in France could see more employees across the country made able to work from home or on the move before the end of the year, it has emerged.

Telecoms firm Alcatel-Lucent recently began trialling its latest Wi-Max networks in various parts of the country in collaboration with French operator Bollore Telecom.

Alcatel-Lucent explains that the networks being trialed are "ideal" for introducing virtual private networks and voice over IP (VoIP) services, which could make it easier for employees in France to operate from home.

"Wi-Max technology enables people to access high-speed, high-quality broadband wireless services wherever they are and wherever they go, providing truly ‘universal’ wireless broadband access," a statement from Alcatel-Lucent read.

David Brunnen from the Communications Management Association insisted recently that VoIP can help businesses enhance their productivity and cut costs by enabling them to establish a more flexible workforce.