If you are here, then you probably already know what the terms VoIP and Landline refer to. However, for purposes of clarity, we’ll just briefly define them one more time. VoIP – which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol is a system of sending and receiving calls via the internet while Landline is our traditional method of sending and receiving calls that make use of wire that come from the phone company to your home or office.
The evolution of the internet has had a huge impact on the telecommunications industry, resulting in increased acceptability of VoIP systems by businesses as opposed to traditional landline systems.
The million-dollar question is why!
VoIP versus Landline – the Future of Telecom
There was a time when choosing between VoIP and Landline would have been so much easier, with the obvious choice being Landline. Those were the days when the internet had not evolved into what it is today. Nowadays, the line between these two is becoming increasingly blurry so much so that more and more businesses are opting for VoIP over traditional landline systems. Various statistics and business review websites such as Statista and FinancesOnline show a very bright future for the VoIP industry with statistics such as 3 billion projected VoIP users worldwide by 2024 and $194.5 billion projected global VoIP revenue by 2024.
If you are wondering why these review websites see such a bright future for the VoIP sector and why most businesses are opting for VoIP over landline, below are some of the key differences between VoIP and landline systems.
- Pricing
This is probably one of the most important differences between VoIP and landlines and is one of the primary reasons why most people opt for VoIP systems in place of landline systems. Generally speaking, local and national VoIP phone calls have a very low price tag with international calls being charged a nominal rate. Contrastingly, calls via landline services are charged for anything other than local calls, with these charges usually being at least 2 to 3 times the charges for VoIP systems.
- Setup and Running costs
VoIP is cheaper and easier to setup and run than traditional landline systems. The reason for this is simple. VoIP uses the internet, so it is easier to install and scale according to the size of your business or as your business grows and expands. Landlines, on the other hand, come with a more complex setup meaning more setup cost. Also, they use traditional cable systems which require that cables and routers be installed every time the system needs to be scaled to meet the growth needs of the business.
- Functionality and Features
The versatility of the internet increases the overall functionality of VoIP systems as they have several features that most businesses find very useful. With VoIP systems, businesses can send and receive voice calls just as they would with traditional landline systems without the restrictions of being in the office – your phones can work from anywhere as long as there is a good internet connection. VoIP phone systems also have a wide variety of features such as call forwarding, call waiting, conference calling and transmission of videos. These features and more are unavailable to users of landlines making VoIP a better choice for most businesses.
These are just a few of the benefits of VoIP systems over landline systems. Others include the fact that with VoIP systems, calls can be forwarded with ease to a secondary device making accessibility easier and costless. Landlines provide businesses with a simple and basic way to make and receive calls which is ideal for a small business running in a remote area without a high-speed, stable internet connection. But if your business has potential for growth and boasts of a stable and high-speed internet connection, a VoIP system is exactly what your business needs.