VoIP isn't so old.
"VoIP" means "Voice over Internet Protocol." The first VoIP system was developed by Vocaltec in 1995. This ran on a PC, but because of transfer speeds, it wasn't a viable alternative to traditional telephones.
Before Broadband
Private local area networks (LANs) had speed and capacity to carry interactive conversations before the Internet. The H.323 Protocol, published by the International Telecommunication Union in 1996, created standards for transmission over LANs.
Development
With the creation of broadband, these standards were adapted for use over the Internet. H.323 became officially identified as an Internet compatible standard in 1998. By 2000, VoIP traffic accounted for 3 percent of calls in the United States.
Commercialization
Uptake of the service increased with the creation of companies such as Skype and Vonage. Interest in the service was increased once service providers began to exchange calls. Once public telephone companies allowed VoIP traffic over their networks, the service could function like a regular home phone. This normalization of the service was improved with the introduction of Analog Telephone Adapters, which meant that regular home telephones could be used for a VoIP service.
Tags: Internet Protocol, over Internet, regular home, service increased, VoIP traffic