Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What’s the ongoing cost for a VoIP phone system?

Calls from one VoIP phone to another “on net” cost nothing, all you need is an internet connection. Most VOIP user monthly subscriptions include calls to UK local/national and UK mobile numbers at no extra charge.  

Calls to other destinations, even long-distance calls, are generally cheaper than traditional landline charges.

As well as cheaper calls, the installation and maintenance are also considerably less expensive than a traditional phone setup because remote access comes as part of the package.

What internet do I need for a VoIP phone system?

Just a "suitable" internet access, with low latency, and SIP ALG disabled!

You can choose whether you require desk telephone handsets, walkabout wireless handsets and/or the softphone application for desktops/laptops and mobiles. Its even possible to make some desk telephones wireless although we would always recommend wired connections. You will also need to power the telephone handsets so you will need PoE (Power over Ethernet) network switches, PoE adapters or individual PSU for each telephone. We would always recommend PoE switches as this will allow a wired  desktop and a telephone top "share" the same data socket which can be extremely useful.

How flexible is a VoIP phone system?

With VoIP telephony, adding new users is easy, and no extra infrastructure is generally necessary if structured internal cabling (CAT5e or CAT6) is already in place. Telephone handsets can be preconfigured, sent out to site and set up – “plug and play”, even sharing data sockets with PCs and laptops.

If your business relocates to a new area and it uses a VoIP telephone system there is no need to change your phone number, avoiding the need to contact every client and supplier to update them.

VoIP is also very valuable to people who work from multiple locations. One main phone number can be used, if desired, and calls can be routed throughout the UK and abroad to wherever the VoIP telephone users are situated. Geography is irrelevant, you just need internet access. 

In our world of "hybrid working" practices like hot desking, remote offices and working from home are very popular, VoIP works perfectly to accommodate these needs, especially when you use a softphone app (on your laptop and/or smartphone) in conjunction with / or instead of a deskphone.

In short, VoIP is incredibly flexible.

Do I need a back up for my primary internet service?

Resiliency needs to be considered if your business is totally or very reliant on the internet.  Dependant on your primary internet service you have various options for your back up including FTTC (Fibre to the cabinet) and 4G mobile(soon to be 5G). Some will automatically switch if your primary fails others will need to be manually configured  to provide the back up.  Some may also require a separate router.

What else should I consider for my business internet?

Reliability is a big factor for business customers. Having unreliable internet is stressful and counterproductive. At very least go for a business grade broadband connection with an unlimited data transfer allowance per month and if you are in an industry that can’t risk internet service interruptions, it’s wise to consider a dedicated internet lease line which has an associated Service Level Agreement (SLA).

SLAs are service contracts that specifically state how reliable the connection should be. Customer Services goes hand-in-hand with reliability. Regardless of how good the connection is, something will one day go wrong. Whether it’s hardware failure, ISP service issues or a physically damaged line, it’s extremely likely there will be issues one day.

Good customer service is a measure of how fast they can help get you back up and running. Most businesses can’t wait several days for a problem to be resolved. They require a higher level of service and a good service provider understands that.

How can I check what broadband speed I can get?

Most areas of the UK now have FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) broadband available with speeds upto 80 mbps download and 20 mbps upload. More and more areas of the UK have FTTP ( Fibre to the Premises) with speeds upto 1000 mbps download and 220 mbps upload. With your address and postcode we can advise what speed ranges you are likely to enjoy and the services that will be available to you.

How do I know what internet speed my business will need?

When it comes to estimating the right internet speed for your business, there are two fundamental questions to consider: 

The number of users in your organisation, and what they are using the internet for?

If you have just a handful of office-based staff using their connection for email and for browsing websites, you can probably get away with lower speeds and a standard FTTC connection. If you have a larger team - or employees who need to send and receive large files, join video or audio conferences, access cloud-based applications, back up data remotely or use hosted VOIP telephony solutions you’ll need to consider services that provide a more robust connection like a dedicated internet lease line or FTTP ( if available).