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The Internet phone, also known as a broadband phone, is a digital communications device used for making phone calls via the Internet. It is also a commonly used Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application device. When a call is made, the phone using VoIP converts the user’s voice into several digital packets after an analog-to-digital conversion circuit processes it, and then sends the data over the Internet to be received by the other user.
And Internet phone is also known as a broadband phone or IP phone.
Techopedia Explains Internet Phone
VoIP phones use many protocols like Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), the Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) and various other protocols. There are even proprietary protocols such as the one used by Skype.
Other VoIP providers may use one or more protocols, plus some that they have developed on their own. The first Internet phone was developed by Vocal Tech Communications Ltd. in 1995 using a Windows softphone to communicate with a common phone. Once communication through the Internet was developed, it allowed the VoIP phone to be used for international long distance calls with little to no additional charge. One of the most significant advantages of using Internet phone technology is its cost-effectiveness; it is cheaper than making regular calls. On the other hand, it is Internet- and power-dependent, meaning that during a power outage or a connection outage the entire system becomes non-functional.
