Although many younger households have ditched their home phones in favor of cellular devices, traditional landlines are still the norm in older homes. These hard-wired devices connect to the telephone company through copper wires that lead into your house at a gray box (the standard demarcation point). The connections in this box may split into phone company and customer sides.
What is a landline?
A landline is a home phone that uses wires instead of wireless transmission. It’s also referred to as a fixed line, although the term is often used to differentiate it from mobile phones.
When you speak into your landline’s microphone, the sound is converted to electrical signals transmitted through copper or optical fiber lines until they reach the receiver in your phone. The movement is then amplified to make the call sound clear.
Some people keep a landline for its reliability and superior call quality, especially in areas with poor cell reception. Additionally, landlines provide emergency responders with an affiliated address — unlike cellphones, which only transmit your general location. They’re also more resistant to power outages, which is helpful for business owners who need to stay available to customers.
What is a VoIP phone?
A particular VoIP phone plugs into your broadband connection and looks and works like a traditional telephone. Some VoIP providers include one as part of their business broadband or phone packages, while others offer them separately. Either case, you will need a broadband connection, cables, and a router.
Hardware voice-over IP phones resemble traditional hard-wired or cordless telephones, with LCD screens that display important information, including caller ID. They can simultaneously handle multiple users and phone numbers and may support features like call transfer and music on hold.
Some businesses skip the VoIP hardware and download a softphone application onto their office computers or mobile devices. This approach can be more cost-effective but requires a robust and reliable Internet connection capable of handling peak traffic without suffering from latency or dropped calls.
What is a VoIP service?
A VoIP service — or virtual phone system — takes your business phone communication to the cloud using the Internet. VoIP is also known landline is a home phone with various names, but all of these terms mean the same thing: it manages your business’s phone communication via the Internet.
Behind the scenes, VoIP works by converting your analog audio signal into digital data. Then this data is sent over your internet connection to your service provider, where it’s reverted into an audio signal and delivered to your phone or device.
Features like call recording, centralized management tools, and skills-based routing ensure your calls are of the highest quality. You can even upload custom on-hold music to impress your customers and improve your corporate image.
What is a VOIP plan?
Businesses using VoIP can enjoy various features, including virtual receptionists, voicemail-to-email, call recording, on-hold music, videoconferencing, and instant messaging. But it’s essential to choose a plan that provides the right level of security and reliability.
Choosing a provider with a scalable pricing structure to adjust your services according to your business needs is also a good idea. Some VoIP providers even offer free faxing, which is helpful for small businesses that need more money to invest in an expensive fax machine.
While some people might be under the impression that VoIP has poor call quality, this is no longer true, thanks to advanced technology. VoIP calls are as clear or even better than traditional landlines.
What is a VOIP phone?
A VOIP phone is a phone that uses VoIP technology to connect over an internet data network. It typically requires a reliable high-speed internet connection (ethernet cable or WiFi) with bandwidth sufficient to avoid issues like jitter and packet loss.
There are two main types of VOIP phones: hardware- and software-based. Hardware-based VoIP phones look and function like traditional hard-wired or cordless telephones and include physical features such as a speakerphone or microphone, touchpad, and displays showing user input and caller ID.
They also feature advanced functionality such as a conference calling capability, multiparty calling, and support for multiple VoIP accounts.
Software-based VoIP phones work on your desktop or mobile phone and utilize a smartphone app to connect over the Internet. They are ideal for business use and can be managed through a web portal that provides users access to call history, device management, and other enterprise-grade features.