The equivalent of a conferencing online phone will be definitely developed by VoIP technology. VoIP is an acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol, as it refers to its ability of making a phone call over the internet possible. What this technology does is downright amazing. It packs your voice in data packages when you speak so bandwidth is used at maximum efficiency. VoIP opens up an array of new and exciting possibilities, considering that one gets to pay the same fee to call anyone anywhere in the world.
Many visionaries look at VoIP as the ultimate substitute for normal phone calls in the future. Of course, conferencing and calling online will not become the standard for a long time, until everyone starts using it as their principal means of communication.
The beautiful thing about VoIP today is that you can perform calls both to other PC's connected to the internet or to an ordinary phone. That's why it's widely used by many individuals and organizations for long distance calling. No need to use fancy and expensive satellite systems orbiting in space, with the internet anyone can have an online conference. Although VoIP is still in its infancy, more and more companies are investing lots of resources to develop the most efficient, low cost solution for consumers to enjoy.