As the Internet grows ever larger and can be found in increasing numbers of homes across the world, the communities in which we live are shrinking in terms of contact ability every day. As more contacts are made among people globally, there has been a strong demand to improve conversational abilities beyond the capacity and cost of the traditional phone market.

One technological innovation that seeks to bridge the distance gap between people is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). This procedure is the routing of voice conversations over the Internet through a packet-switched network, as opposed to the telephone system of circuit-switched networks.

The immediate benefit that is apparent for users of Voice over Internet Protocol at home is in the cost. Traditional telephone long distance costs have made it unaffordable to call distant friends or family members to all but the most dedicated, which results in a loosening of the family ties which can be detrimental to the individuals and also will end with most families feeling a significant amount of regret. With the VoIP technology, family members and friends who live far apart from each other need worry no longer about the significant costs involved in keeping in touch. When both parties are using the VoIP technology, for example, the entire call may be free of charge, no matter where in the world the parties are calling from. It is important to remember, if you are a brass-tacks budgeter that the cost of the overall Internet charge to your premises should be included in the overall cost, but this s usually still significantly less than just one call to a family member in Florida from Canada or even the northern United States would cost.

It is also possible to use VoIP technology to call a regular phone line, but in these cases there will be a cost involved, usually to the VoIP user. These costs are usually lower than equivalent telephone services, and the charges depend on the type of public switched telephone network to VoIP connection that is used.

VoIP in the home also carries some significant advantages in terms of functionality. The technology can be used concurrently with video conversation, so that the callers can also see each other and their homes as they talk. It can also act simultaneously with file exchange or instant message services such as MSN in order to achieve immediate discussion and application of the files being exchanged. Incoming calls that use VoIP can also be routed from anywhere, regardless of where the connection to the Internet is taking place.

Finally, the technology available through VoIP makes it possible to take your phone number with you anywhere in the world without having to inform your numerous contacts of where they can reach you at a certain time and number. The number assigned by the company, such as Skype, remains the contact number no matter what location the user may be at.