Phone communication using Internet technology

How is it different?

• Sounds changed into data

• The voice data are divided into packets of data, addressed, and sent on to a destination on a shared IP network

Why do we have it?

• To make telecommunications networks and services to be more like Internet communications and less like traditional telecommunications

What does it look like?

• Some VoIP products look more like telephone products and some look more like computer/internet products: Convergence

Not well understood: A survey in Canada this year reportedly found that only about 20% of Canadians knew what it was.