5 Reasons Why Your VoIP Call Quality Might Be Poor

VoIP technology has revolutionised business communications by offering cost-effective, feature-rich phone solutions that work seamlessly over internet connections. However, despite its many advantages, poor call quality remains one of the most common frustrations that VoIP users experience.

If you’ve encountered choppy audio, voice distortion, echo effects, dropped calls or frustrating delays during important business conversations, you’re not alone. While VoIP can deliver crystal-clear call quality that rivals traditional phone lines, achieving optimal performance depends on different critical factors.

Lauren Davies from VoIP company bOnline comments: “Call quality is actually really important when it comes to sales, negotiation and client management. If the line and the call quality are poor, it sounds unprofessional and can even lead to missed opportunities, as peoples’ attention spans and tolerance levels when it comes to any sort of business call can be poor as we often get so many calls through the day as it is.”

What is VoIP?

VoIP is a technology that replaces traditional copper phone lines with the internet for voice call transmission. Your analogue voice is transformed into digital data packets, which are then transmitted across a broadband connection and transformed back into sound at the other end.

This technology is a well-liked substitute for conventional phone systems for both personal and professional use since it provides cost savings, flexibility, and cutting-edge capabilities like video conferencing. 

What Does it Mean When You Have Bad VoIP Call Quality?

Poor VoIP call quality, which frequently manifests as choppiness, echoes, delays, or dropped conversations, indicates issues with audio data transmission. A bad internet connection, network congestion, and a lack of bandwidth are some of the reasons why this occurs. It shows that voice-related data packets are coming out of sequence, lost, or delayed. 

What Factors Influence Call Quality in VoIP Calls?

Network performance and equipment quality, such as bandwidth, latency, jitter, and packet loss, all affect VoIP conversation quality. The type of codec employed, the quality of hardware like routers and headsets, and network setup (such as QoS settings) are further factors. 

5 Reasons Why VoIP Call Quality Might Be Poor

There are many different reasons why your VoIP call quality might be poor. Here are the main reasons why:

Insufficient Bandwidth

A reliable internet connection is necessary for VoIP calls. You may experience choppy audio or dropped calls if your network is busy with other high-bandwidth activity, such as streaming or huge file downloads.

High Latency

Latency refers to the time delay that occurs between when you speak into your phone or device and when the other person on the call actually hears your words. This delay plays a critical role in determining overall call quality. High latency creates numerous communication problems that can make VoIP conversations feel frustrating and unprofessional. 

Unstable Internet Connection

​​Your Internet connection is at the top of the list. VoIP call quality depends on a reliable internet connection because calls are made via the internet rather than a conventional landline. Your broadband only needs to have sufficient speed and bandwidth for VoIP calls; it doesn’t have to be extremely fast.

Poor Router

It’s possible that you recently set up VoIP phones in your workplace, but you neglected to update your router. You will have poor call quality if your router lacks the apps required to prioritise VoIP call packets. 

Outdated Equipment

The equipment you’re using is the last element that can impact VoIP call quality. VoIP calls have traditionally been placed over an IP phone or a regular phone. The quality of your VoIP calls may be affected if the equipment you’re using is outdated or of poor quality.