Choosing Business Telephone Lines
Choosing the right business telephone lines is important because your choice will determine the equipment that you are able to use and the features you can support, both now and in the future. You may only have basic requirements now, but if your business is likely to grow rapidly in the near future, then you will need telephone lines that can support this or it won’t be long before you have to upgrade your lines. When, choosing business telephone lines, you should think about the size of your business, your current usage, the equipment you need to support and your projected growth. In this article, the differences between various business telephone lines will be explained.
PSTN/Analogue lines
The most basic lines available are PSTN/analogue lines. They are only really suited to businesses that have very few requirements from their voice communications. If you choose these lines, there is not much that you will be able to do beyond holding a conversation, but you will enjoy some very basic features including three-way calling, call waiting, call diversion and caller display.
With PSTN/analogue lines, it is possible to add additional lines where simultaneous conversations are needed. Additional lines are referred to as auxiliary lines and they are connected via a switchboard or PBX (Private Branch Exchange). With PSTN multilines, you can have the same phone number for multiple lines in your premises, which allows incoming calls to be routed to any available line in the group.
If you run a very small business and only have a minimal requirement from your phone lines, then PSTN/analogue lines may be sufficient for your needs. However, they may not be the best option for businesses that have more than a few employees and need more functionality from their business telephone lines. Due to their simplicity, these lines are relatively low cost.
ISDN/ Digital telephone lines (ISDN2 & ISDN30)
If you have greater requirements from your business telephone lines then ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines may be a better option. ISDN circuits are digital telephone lines that carry voice and data over copper wires. Depending on the size of your business, you can choose between ISDN2 and ISDN30 lines. With ISDN lines, you will be able to make multiple simultaneous calls over the same PSTN line and these can be either voice or data. If you choose ISDN lines, you will enjoy all of the basic features that analogue lines offer as well as some more advanced features such as call barring, individual DDI numbers for your staff, call forwarding and more.
Because they are digital lines, each ISDN line is called a channel. ISDN lines are installed in pairs of channels, which is called a circuit. Each pair, or circuit, is the equivalent of two separate telephone lines so it can support two simultaneous calls. Two simultaneous calls will need one circuit, four will need two and six will need three and so on. ISDN lines provide a symmetrical bandwidth of 64Kbps per channel and the channels can be combined for a higher bandwidth if needed.
For small businesses with 2-8 employees, ISDN2 are ideal. For medium to large businesses that require more than eight simultaneous calls, ISDN30 lines are better suited. Both versions offer the same features, but ISDN30 lines are simply designed to support a greater number of users. It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that there are some distance limitations with ISDN30 lines, which means that they sometimes need to be installed using fibre optic cabling. If this is necessary, then ISDN30 will become considerably more expensive. It’s also worth considering that there is a number limitation with ISDN lines. They do support several telephone numbers and unlimited DDI numbers, but if your business has many numbers then they may not be suitable. However, ISDN lines are suitable for the needs of most businesses.
SIP/VoIP
SIP trunks, or VoIP, is an alternative to conventional business telephone lines that carries voice and data over your internet connection. Voice calls are enabled by converting voice into a data signal that is sent via the internet. If you choose VoIP then you can connect your existing phones using an adapter, use VoIP phones or make calls directly through the computer.
When you opt for VoIP, you will benefit from many advanced features at no extra cost. It can also be much cheaper to install because it doesn’t require the extensive cabling work of traditional telephone lines. And, you will also benefit from considerably lower call charges, even on long distance calls. VoIP is also extremely scalable and additional lines can be added instantly, when they are required, through an admin web portal. VoIP/SIP lines are suitable for most businesses, regardless of size and as the latest telecoms standard it will help to future-proof your organisation. The only downside to VoIP is that it does require a reliable internet connection, which can be a problem for some businesses particularly in more remote parts of the country.
If you would like more information or advice about choosing business telephone lines, or for a free no-obligation quote, contact Midland Networks today on 0800 849 8585.