Is VoIP a Reliable Solution for Your Business in 2024?

Business owners commonly ask us, “Is VoIP reliable?” That’s because no business wants to be without a phone system, even for a few minutes.

In fact, many business owners have put off switching to a VoIP phone system because of uncertainty over its reliability. However, with the big switch-off planned for 2025, UK businesses will soon need to put their trust in digital calling.

The good news is that VoIP phones can be just as reliable—or even more so—than landline phones. We’ll explain everything you need to know about VoIP reliability and help you choose the best provider.

5 Factors That Make VoIP More Reliable Than Landlines

Let’s explore why you can rely on VoIP phones and how they’re better than landlines.

Most Providers Promise Less Than 6 Minutes of Downtime Each Year

Many of the top business VoIP providers in the UK guarantee 99.999% uptime. That means that in a typical year, your phone system will be unavailable for less than six minutes in total.

VoIP providers accomplish this by building highly resilient networks of servers to ensure your calls can almost always get through.

Landline phones, on the other hand, can experience hours of downtime each year. Just think about how long it typically takes for the phone company to restore service after a telephone line goes down in a storm.

Weather Is Less Likely to Take Out Your Phone Service

Another benefit to having set up a VoIP system is that bad weather is a lot less likely to knock your phone system offline compared to landline systems. That’s because most internet cables in the UK are buried underground, whereas telephone lines are largely aboveground and exposed to wind and rain.

As long as you have internet service and power, you’ll be able to make VoIP phone calls.

That said, landlines do have one major advantage: you can continue making calls on your landline phone system even if the power goes out. That can be useful in an emergency, but it’s not a scenario that most businesses need to worry about.

Even in that case, VoIP calling will still work on smartphones or any VoIP devices that can connect to cellular data networks. A growing number of VoIP desk phones now include cellular backup so that they can keep functioning if your WiFi network goes down.

HD Codecs Have Made Sound Quality Better Than Ever

One of the benefits of landline phones vs. VoIP phones has long been that landlines offer better voice quality. However, that’s starting to change thanks to new high-definition audio codes that capture your voice in impressively clear quality.

Thanks to this improved technology and the arrival of high-speed broadband throughout the UK, it’s very unlikely that you’ll experience sound quality issues like VoIP latency or jitter.

You Can Use Multiple Devices

One reliability concern that business owners often don’t consider is that your phone could break or stop working unexpectedly. If that happens with a landline phone, you’re not going to be able to make or receive calls until you replace it.

With a VoIP phone system, on the other hand, you have several options. You can set up temporary call forwarding to another number or make or receive calls on your computer or smartphone. A broken phone won’t prevent you from communicating with employees or customers.

Calls Are End-to-end Encrypted

VoIP phones aren’t just reliable—they’re also highly secure. Most VoIP providers use end-to-end encryption, a security method that ensures no one can listen in on your calls.

That’s not the case for landlines, which are susceptible to wiretapping. Anyone who gets physical access to your phone line could potentially listen in on your business’s most important communications.

If you want to make your VoIP phone system even more secure, consider using a VoIP virtual private network (VPN). This adds another layer of encryption and masks your device’s IP address, making it impossible for anyone to trace your location.

How To Choose a Reliable VoIP Provider

Not all VoIP providers are equally reliable, so it’s important to choose wisely. We’ll explore some of the most important factors to consider when evaluating a VoIP provider’s reliability.

Network Uptime

The first thing to check is whether the provider is meeting its stated uptime goal. You can check each provider’s X account to see when they have issued downtime notices. You can also check Downdetector.com to see how often other users have reported connectivity issues with a VoIP provider.

Service-level Agreement

A service-level agreement, or SLA, is a contract that some VoIP providers offer to guarantee your phone system’s uptime. SLAs can also cover call quality and maintenance schedules.

If your provider doesn’t live up to their SLA, they’ll refund some of the cost of your VoIP phone plan. That means your provider is highly incentivized to keep your system up and running, and you’ll be compensated if it doesn’t.

Customer Support

Contact the support team for any VoIP provider you’re considering. This is an easy way to find out whether your provider will be there when you need them and how long it might take to get a response.

You should also look for VoIP providers that offer onboarding assistance when you sign up. An onboarding specialist can help you set up your VoIP phone system so that you get the highest possible call quality and system reliability.

Security Certifications

Many VoIP providers have achieved security certifications that indicate their network has met strict standards for protecting customers’ information and keeping out bad actors. Look for providers that are compliant with Service Organization Control Type 2 (SOC II) requirements, a widely used security certification in the telecom industry.

Software Updates

While frequent software updates can be irritating, they’re actually a good thing. They indicate that a VoIP provider is committed to maintaining its product and keeping it secure against new online threats.

You can check a prospective VoIP provider’s software updates page to see how frequently they release software updates and bug fixes.