Maybe Microsoft's multi-billion dollar deal for Skype wasn't such an outlandish deal after all. Because according to a recent poll conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the popularity of Internet phone calls has jumped dramatically, with 5% of Internet users placing a VOIP phone call on any given day.

The survey found that almost a quarter of American adult Internet users (24%) have placed a phone call online. That's 19% of all American adults.

That's a marked increase from the last time the Pew Research Center polled people about VOIP usage. In February 2007, just 8% of Internet users (roughly 6% of all adults) had placed phone calls via the Internet, and 2% of Internet users were making VOIP calls on any given day. The Pew Research Center says that it has asked these questions at various times throughout the past decade and never has that daily figure risen above that.

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