With a high-speed broadband connection, for example, you can make calls and surf the Internet at the same time. It can be as basic as dial-up service, but the faster your Net connection, the better the call quality is.

The first thing you need is an Internet connection. VoIP services that stay on the Internet-calls that are between personal computers with VoIP service-are free. Those charges are passed along to VoIP customers. For those calls, VoIP service providers must pay access fees to the landline and wireless operators. Why do some VoIP services cost money, and why are some free?Ī VoIP service can connect users not only with other VoIP customers but also with phone services that are offline, such as those that use traditional landline networks and wireless cell phone networks. Those include computers and wireless devices, such as cell phones and handhelds, that are set up to receive online information. So at their core, they are no different from e-mails, instant messages or Web pages, which all can be distributed for free between Internet-connected machines. VoIP calls are just another application riding over the Internet. VoIP refers to voice calls that are routed over online networks using the Internet Protocol-the IP that serves as the backbone of the Internet and is used to ferry e-mails, instant messages and Web pages to millions of PCs or cell phones. The key to making the most of VoIP is understanding its basic forms and what you might expect to pay for them.

Many VoIP services are available for as little as $20 a month, though with some important constraints. VoIP-which enables phone calls to be carried over the Internet-also is one of the most economical phone technologies available. Current estimates put the number of VoIP users at about 5 million, although industry observers say that number will increase fivefold in the next two years. Since about 1995, when it was first offered to consumers, VoIP has become one of the world's most widely used telephony products. As the popularity of voice over Internet Protocol surges, and lawmakers put more pressure on Net phone providers to fully support 911 services, many consumers are asking what exactly they need to know about the technology.

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