Lower bills, more flexibility, a host of features – VoIP has a lot going for it. But it’s not without its quirks of course. VoIP – or Voice over Internet Protocol – has completely changed the way we think about phone calls. Put simply, VoIP enables you to make calls over the Internet instead of using traditional copper wiring.
It eliminates a lot of the costs involved with these traditional phone systems, including hardware and maintenance. It’s also much cheaper to make international calls – a big plus if you work remotely with global teams.
Businesses are saving a huge amount of money, remote teams are staying connected from wherever they are and features that once cost a fortune are now bundled in for free. It would be a no brainer to make the switch, right?
VoIP is excellent in the right set up, that much is certain. But it does come with limitations worth knowing about before you toss your old phone system in the trash.
Your Calls Are Only As Good As Your Internet
VoIP needs a stable Internet connection to work so if you don’t have that, you won’t be getting the full benefit out of your VoIP system. With traditional phone lines, the quality of your calls is largely dependent on what else is happening on your network. But with VoIP, it’s an entirely different story.
Whether your connection is slow, congested or unstable, you will feel it on every call. Either the audio can sound choppy or voices sound robotic and those maddening lag pauses where you and the other person accidentally talk over each other.
It’s frustrating at the best of times, especially if you are on a client call and trying to maintain some standard of professionalism.
Bandwidth Isn’t The Only Thing That Matters
It’s also a misconception that having fast Internet means that your VoIP system will work perfectly. Speed definitely helps, but the two main culprits that usually cause a problem are latency and jitter.
Latency is the delay in data travelling back and forth while jitter is the inconsistency in those delays that you would typically hear on the call.
Even if you have a blazing-fast connection, your call quality can still be terrible if your network is managed incorrectly. This is why most VoIP providers will recommend that you set up Quality of Service (QoS) on your router. Essentially, this tells your network to place voice traffic as a priority over everything else to keep your calls smooth.
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Power Cuts Don’t Care About Your Meeting Schedule
This is something that most people don’t think about until it’s too late. VoIP phones need both electricity and the Internet to work whereas your copper-wire landline drew power directly from the phone line itself. Even if the lights went out, it would still work. VoIP doesn’t have that luxury.
If the power goes out, your VoIP system goes dark with it. For most households, it’s usually a minor inconvenience because you could use your phone’s hotspot to connect to the Internet. For businesses, it’s a much bigger problem, especially if you are based in an area prone to outages.
There are backup power solutions like UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) units, but they do add cost to your overall communication setup.
Emergency Calls Can Become Complicated
From a safety standpoint, this is one of those limitations that genuinely matter. When you dial an emergency number, traditional landlines automatically share your location with emergency services. VoIP systems can struggle with this.
Because VoIP is Internet-based, you can make calls from anywhere in the world with the same number. It’s wonderful for flexibility but it creates a headache for those emergency services trying to figure out where you are.
To get around this, it’s recommended to check what your specific VoIP provider offers and to make sure that your team knows the limitation especially if they travel for work often.
More Entry Points Means More Security Risk
Just like any other Internet-based app or system, VoIP is exposed to online cybersecurity risks. Things like call interceptions, toll fraud and phishing attacks can knock your phone system offline entirely.
Of course, none of this means that your system is inherently unsafe, it just means that security needs to be a priority. This is where using encryption, strong passwords and working with a reputable provider all go a long way.
With that being said, it does add another layer of responsibility which was non-existent with traditional phone lines.
Should You Still Switch To VoIP?
Almost certainly, yes. Especially if you do have a reliable Internet connection and a provider who knows what they’re doing. The cost savings, flexibility and features offered by VoIP are hard to argue with and the limitations are very manageable once you become aware of them.
The key thing is to go in with eyes open. VoIP is not a plug-and-play replacement for your old phone system. Yet, it rewards a little preparation regarding your network setup, backup plans, emergency call situations and security. Once you’ve covered that groundwork, VoIP is a fantastic tool to use.
As is the case with most technology, it’s not about it being perfect – it’s about it working for your situation and you knowing what you’re signing up for. For most people and businesses, it’s a worthwhile move.
