A broadband phone is used with a broadband Internet connection to make phone calls. Telecommunication companies set up infrastructure that can transfer voice data from one end to another, allowing consumers to make calls through traditional digital phones without realizing that the calls are being transmitted via the internet. The voice is received from the phone and broken down into data packets and sent through the internet to a receiving station. The receiving station then translates the data back into voice data so that the intended receiver understands the information sent as if he was talking to the person with the use of a regular phone. A slower Internet connection makes the voice signal choppy and unclear, so it is important to have a quality broadband connection.

Broadband phones make international calls more economical. Using the voice in data mode through the Internet allows anyone with the proper Internet bandwidth and the infrastructure to make international calls more affordably than they could with traditional phone companies.

Multinational companies that have satellite offices set up around the world install infrastructures that allow employees to make broadband phone calls, making communicating among co-workers easy and convenient, as if they were talking to each other in the same office. In fact, instead of dialing a number, the communication can actually be done via intercom.

Consumers can purchase prepaid cards to make calls through any traditional phones. This option allows the consumer more minutes per dollar when making international calls.

Nowadays, instant messaging Internet applications have voice messaging capabilities. Although consumers need a computer to make calls with this method, voice messaging uses the same technology. In fact some providers want to make the experience as traditional as possible--so traditional that phones can be connected to the computer. By using this technology, consumers can simply use their existing broadband connection to make free Internet phone calls.