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VoIP stands for 'Voice Over Internet Protocol'. In simple terms it means 'making telephone calls through the Internet'. VoIP (pronounced 'voyp' by most people) is simply an alternative to using a conventional landline or mobile phone to make telephone calls.

Although VoIP has been creating quite a stir in the press recently, it's actually not a new idea at all. VoIP has been around in one form or another since 1973 when it began as an experiment by the US Department of Defense.

The reason why we haven't all been using VoIP to make calls until now is that it requires a broadband Internet connection, and broadband has only been widely available to home and business users for a relatively short time. But now, with broadband becoming increasingly common, VoIP has started to take off in a big way.

The big selling point of VoIP is the cost of calls. If you use VoIP to call someone else who also has VoIP, your calls (even international calls) will be absolutely free! All you pay for is your normal Internet connection. And what's more, you may not need any extra equipment. If your computer has speakers and a microphone, you're almost ready to go.

If you have a broadband Internet connection, even a relatively slow one (less than 1Mb) you should find that the sound quality is at least as good as a mobile phone, and may be even better than a landline. Even with ISDN or a dialup modem, you may find that the sound quality is perfectly adequate, although you are unlikely to experience quite the same quality as a broadband user.