How does the ipad2 hook to the internet?

A friend of mine was told that you didn't need wifi or anything like it to hook up to the internet with the ipad. A women told him ipads did it all on their own without anything else needed. Is there any truth to this? It seems rather doubtful to me but my friend seems hopeful because he would love to surf the net at home but doesn't even have a telephone hook-up.