VoIP vs Landline: which is the right choice for your business?

If you’ve had your phone line for years, you may question why you need to upgrade it all of a sudden. In fact, you may even be wondering what the heck VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) actually is and why it matters all of a sudden.

If you are looking into a new phone line and want to get to the bottom of which choice is better for your business, we’re here to help.

How do different systems work?

When a customer calls your landline phone, electrical signals are sent through copper wire strung across telephone poles or buried in the ground, which is then converted into electricity and sent to your phone. When you speak back, the process happens in reverse.

With VoIP technology, the calls are transferred through your internet connection. Rather than converting your voice into electricity, your voice is converted into a data file which is sent back to the receiver.

What are the positives and negatives of each option?

Now you know how they work, we’ll next look at the positives and negatives of each solution.

You have to have internet for VoIP to work, but not for landlines

If you want to have an effective VoIP service, you’ll need a reliable, high-quality internet connection. If you don’t have an internet connection (or it goes down) you won’t be able to receive or make calls.

You don’t need the internet for landline phones to work meaning they can still function in power outages and deliver high-quality calls even if your internet is patchy. If you don’t have the internet at your premise, work from a remote area or absolutely have to have phone functioning at all times, landlines are the best choice.

That being said, if you are in a city and have great internet access, VoIP calls will be as good or even better quality than landline calls.

VoIP is cheaper

Given that VoIP uses your existing internet connection, it won’t be a surprise to know that VoIP is considerably cheaper than a landline. In many cases, it is a fraction of the cost. This means small businesses and startups often favor VoIP when they need a phone service but don’t rely on it.

The different services come with different features

Both types of phone service come with additional features, many of which are the same such as call recording, voice mail, extension lines and call transfer. But the price of these additional services and what they actually entail will differ between the two choices. These features are often more expensive for landlines because they rely on additional software packages called PBX systems. They are usually cheaper and easier to install for VoIP systems and can be done much faster.

If you still aren’t sure about which phone service is best for your business, seek advice from your IT consultant or IT support company today. Or get in touch with our team on 281-768-4800 today.