VoIP vs Traditional Phone Lines

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a telephone technology that transmits voice calls as digital data packets over your broadband or leased line connection. Unlike traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) phone lines, which rely on dedicated copper wire infrastructure maintained by BT Openreach, VoIP systems route calls through your existing internet connection.

Traditional phone lines, also known as PSTN or ISDN lines, have served UK businesses for decades. They are familiar, reliable in most circumstances, and work independently of your internet connection. However, the UK government and BT have confirmed that the PSTN network will be fully switched off by January 2027. This means every business still relying on copper lines must migrate to an IP-based alternative before that deadline.

For most businesses in Lancashire and Northern England, VoIP is not just a future consideration. It is the recommended migration path today. River Technologies has been helping local businesses make this transition smoothly, with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.

The core difference between VoIP and traditional PSTN is the medium through which calls travel. PSTN uses a circuit-switched model: a dedicated physical connection is established for the duration of each call, using the copper line network. VoIP uses a packet-switched model: voice data is broken into packets and routed over the internet alongside other data traffic. This fundamental architectural difference is what gives VoIP its flexibility, scalability, and cost advantages.

When evaluating phone systems for your business, the feature set matters as much as the monthly cost. VoIP systems offer capabilities that were previously only available to large enterprises with expensive PBX hardware, now accessible to businesses of any size.

Call Management: VoIP provides advanced call routing, IVR (Interactive Voice Response) menus, call queuing, and hunt groups as standard features. Traditional PSTN lines offer basic call forwarding and voicemail, but anything more sophisticated requires expensive on-site PBX hardware costing thousands of pounds.

Scalability: Adding a new phone line on a traditional PSTN system can take days and requires an engineer visit. With VoIP, adding a new user takes minutes through a web management portal. You can scale up for seasonal demand peaks and scale back down without penalties or engineer call-out fees.

Remote Working: VoIP extensions work over any internet connection, anywhere in the world. Your team in Preston can take calls on the same number as colleagues working remotely in Leeds, Manchester, or from home. Traditional lines are physically tied to a specific location and cannot travel with your staff.

Call Recording: Built-in call recording is available on most VoIP platforms, useful for training, compliance, and dispute resolution. Traditional lines require separate, often expensive recording hardware to be installed at your premises.

Video Calling: Many VoIP platforms integrate seamlessly with video conferencing tools, creating a unified communications experience. Traditional phone lines are voice-only by design.

Number Portability: You can keep your existing landline number when migrating to VoIP. River Technologies handles the number porting process as part of every migration project, ensuring continuity for your customers.

Cost is often the deciding factor for SMEs considering a phone system upgrade. Here is an honest breakdown of what to expect from each option.

Traditional PSTN Line Costs: A standard business PSTN line typically costs between 20 and 35 pounds per month per line, plus call charges on top. ISDN2 and ISDN30 lines cost significantly more. Add the cost of a physical PBX system, which can range from 2,000 to 15,000 pounds or more for larger installations, plus engineer call-out fees and ongoing maintenance contracts, and the total cost of ownership is substantial over a three to five year period.

VoIP Line Costs: A hosted VoIP line typically costs between 8 and 20 pounds per month per user, inclusive of a generous bundle of UK minutes. There is no physical PBX hardware to purchase, as the system runs entirely in the cloud. Calls between users on the same VoIP system are typically free of charge, regardless of their physical location.

Savings for Lancashire Businesses: For a business with ten phone users, switching from PSTN to VoIP typically reduces monthly telecoms costs by 40 to 60 percent. For businesses with significant inbound or outbound call volumes, the savings are even greater. River Technologies conducts a free bill analysis to show you the exact saving before you commit to anything.

Migration Costs: A managed VoIP migration from River Technologies includes number porting, system configuration, handset provisioning, and staff training. Most migrations for businesses under 25 users are completed within a single working day, minimising disruption to your operations.

Reliability is the most common concern we hear from businesses considering VoIP. Here is the honest picture, including both advantages and considerations.

VoIP Reliability Factors: VoIP call quality depends primarily on your internet connection. A stable, business-grade broadband connection, or better still a dedicated leased line, provides excellent call quality with minimal downtime. The key metrics to consider are sufficient upload bandwidth (at least 100kbps per concurrent call), low latency (under 150 milliseconds), and low packet loss (under 1 percent).

River Technologies includes a pre-migration connectivity assessment with every VoIP proposal. If your current internet connection is not suitable for VoIP, we will recommend an appropriate upgrade, whether that is a business FTTP connection, an SOGEA line, or a leased line for larger or more demanding sites.

Traditional Line Reliability: PSTN lines do not depend on internet connectivity, which is their primary reliability advantage. However, physical copper infrastructure is subject to weather damage, exchange faults, and the general degradation that comes with an ageing network nearing end-of-life. Repair times for PSTN faults can be two to five working days under standard SLAs.

Business Continuity with VoIP: A well-configured VoIP system offers superior business continuity options. If your office internet fails, calls can be automatically diverted to mobile numbers or an alternative site. If your office is temporarily inaccessible, staff can take calls from home using the same number within minutes. These failover options are simply not available with traditional PSTN infrastructure.

For businesses with a reliable internet connection, VoIP is at least as dependable as PSTN for day-to-day use, and far more flexible when unexpected situations arise.