# VoIP
> Voice over Internet Protocol – technology for making voice calls over the internet

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) enables voice calls to be made over the internet instead of phone lines.

## What is VoIP?
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that converts voice into digital data packets and transmits them over IP networks — typically the internet — rather than traditional circuit-switched telephone networks (PSTN). VoIP enables voice calls, video calls, and multimedia sessions from any internet-connected device.

## How VoIP works
A VoIP call begins with [SIP](/voip-glossary/sip/) signaling to establish the session. Voice audio is captured, digitized by a [codec](/voip-glossary/codec/), packetized, and sent via [RTP](/voip-glossary/rtp/) to the remote party. At the receiving end, packets are reassembled and converted back to audio.

## VoIP benefits
VoIP dramatically reduces call costs (especially international), enables advanced features like video and messaging, supports mobility through [softphones](/voip-glossary/softphone/), and scales easily. Service providers use platforms like [Acrobits Cloud Softphone](/cloud-softphone/) to deliver branded VoIP solutions to their subscribers.

## Related Terms
- [SIP](/voip-glossary/sip/)
- [Softphone](/voip-glossary/softphone/)
- [RTP](/voip-glossary/rtp/)