Widespread use of voice over IP (finally)

Description:

IP Telephony makes it possible to have a telephone conversation over the Internet or a dedicated Internet Protocol (IP) network instead of dedicated voice transmission lines. This allows the elimination of circuit switching and the associated waste of bandwidth. Instead, packet switching is used, where IP packets with voice data are sent over the network only when data needs to be sent, i.e. when a caller is talking. Its advantages over traditional telephony include:

• lower costs per call, especially for long-distance calls.
• lower infrastructure costs: once IP infrastructure is installed, no or little additional telephony infrastructure is needed.
• future proof as functionality is software (protocol) based and does not require hardware replacement

IP Telephony is not new, however.