Comparing VoIP to the classic telephone system allows us to see some of the benefits of VoIP. Perhaps the most notable is that long distance phone call charges could become a thing of the past. You don't pay extra to download from a website in China, so using the Internet and VoIP, you wouldn't pay extra to have a VoIP-based conversation with somebody in China.

You can, if you want, purchase a VoIP telephone, but many are finding that buying a headset and installing VoIP software onto their computer is easier. Existing telephones can be used for VoIP too, through the use of an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA).

Some VoIP service providers will allow you to call analogue land lines as well as other VoIP phones. They do this by providing a gateway between the VoIP network and the classic telephone network. Some providers charge a monthly fee, others will charge per second or per minute, like with a normal phone.

With various VoIP solutions available now, I suggest you search the Internet for a few and have a look at what's on offer, perhaps trying a free computer to computer version out with your friends first.