From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Voice over Internet Protocol (also called VoIP, IP Telephony, Internet telephony, and Broadband Phone) is the routingof voiceconversations over the Internetor any other IP-based network. The voice data flows over a general-purpose packet-switchednetwork, instead of traditional dedicated, circuit-switchedvoice transmission lines.

Protocolsused to carry voice signals over the IP network are commonly referred to as Voice over IPor VoIPprotocols. They may be viewed as commercial realizations of the experimental Network Voice Protocol(1973) invented for the ARPANET.

Voice over IP traffic might be deployed on any IP network, including ones lacking a connection to the rest of the Internet, for instance on a private building-wide LAN.

For those interested to further their understanding of VOIP, here are some good starting sites to visit:

www.fcc.gov/voip

www.voip-info.org

www.voip-news.com

Ride the VOIP wave and get rid of those greedy telcos!

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