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VoIP & Internet Telephony

What are VoIP and internet telephony?

Internet telephony (also known as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP) is a piece of software that enables voice calls, video calls and instant messaging over the internet.

If you’ve got broadband access, you can use it to make low-cost (sometimes free) calls to other users of the same software, to landlines and to mobiles all over the world.

Millions of people already use internet telephony/VoIP for personal reasons (eg to stay in touch with friends and family abroad) and for business (eg to conduct conference calls with team members in different locations).

Popular VoIP services include Jajah, Skype, Truphone and Vonage.

VoIP may or may not work when using a mobile as it depends on the tariff plan you have and the quality of the network you’re on.

What do I need to know about VoIP / internet telephony?

If your son or daughter uses a VoIP service to contact people they know, you should be aware that their VoIP profile is likely to contain personal details that anyone can see – this might result in them being contacted by strangers.

In addition, VoIP tools will show your child’s status so other people will know when they’re online.

VoIP can be useful for your family so it pays to know how to protect everyone’s privacy and make it more secure – you can use built-in tools to help you do this.

What can I do about VoIP / internet telephony?

  • As VoIP runs over your broadband line, make sure you have the most up-to-date anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software in place
  • Set some rules for how your son or daughter uses VoIP – eg who they can contact, when and for how long
  • If your child wants to access a VoIP service from their mobile, check with their mobile network provider whether this is possible for under-18s
  • Encourage your child to use a strong password for their VoIP service (a combination of letters, numbers and symbols) and not to share it with anyone else
  • Verify and set your child’s VoIP privacy levels (eg in the ‘Tools’ section of the VoIP service) – often the software allows calls and chats from anyone or just people you/they know (the latter is recommended for younger users)
  • Suggest that your child does not complete the entire VoIP public profile (eg date of birth and phone numbers) in order to help protect their identity
  • Talk to your son or daughter about the potential risks of communicating with strangers online
  • Search for and install additional software that improves the safety of the VoIP application they use (eg download a programme like Skypito, a safe internet chatting solution for young people developed in co-operation with Skype)
  • Read our articles about cyberbullying and online grooming

Where can I go for more information and support about VoIP / internet telephony?

How old are your kids?

What you need to know to get started

  • 5-7 years old

    Technology is part of your child's life before they start primary school. They're probably using the computer, the internet and interactive TV for fun - watching programmes on the CBeebies channel and website or taking part in the Club Penguin chat rooms...but they still need adult guidance and supervision.

    Read more

  • 8-11 years old

    If you have 8-11 year old children, your house is probably full of technology - PlayStation, Nintendo, iPod...the list goes on. In fact, research shows that 8-11 year olds in the UK have an average of four media devices in their bedroom.

    This is a crucial age for young people to embrace new technologies and develop their ICT skills both at home and at school...and it's a crucial time for you to take control when they start exploring the digital world as well as the real world.

    Read more

  • 12-14 years old

    They're at secondary school and growing up fast. It's a time of change and their digital world might seem as important as the real world to them. They might spend their evenings on Bebo, Facebook or MySpace ; watching videos on YouTube and uploading their own for others to watch; or doing research for their homework.

    You want to encourage their technology and social skills, of course, so it's useful to understand what they're doing with technology and to get involved with it.

    Read more

  • 15+ years old

    Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they're tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter profile; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.

    It's all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.

    Read more

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