For one thing, the genius of the packet-switched network means new VoIP services can reach every user worldwide without any specific infrastructure investment.

FORBES: The Madness of Regulating VoIP as a Public Utility

Why did the phone companies cling to expensive switched network standards even as packet-switched voice grew robust enough to deliver acceptable fidelity at a much lower cost per connection?

FORBES: Is Digital Utopianism Dead?

It is a packet-switched technology, and only consumes network resources when data is being transmitted, so it is widely expected that customers will be charged for the amount of data they exchange, rather than the time they spend logged on to the network.

CNN: AOL brings instant messenger to mobile phones