Every business needs to decide on how they’ll receive their business calls; what type of phone line connection will be the best fit.
A phone line needs to give your business:
Flexibility – High voice quality – Scalability - Business Continuity
We have significant experience working in distribution, healthcare, manufacturing, motor, and retail industries so if you are looking at your options and would like guidance on the best phone line option for your business, get in touch.
We have been installing phone lines for over 27 years across the UK, particularly in and around London and the Midlands. Regardless of whether you are a small one-man-band business or a large corporate business with thousands of users; we have the experience and resources to tailor, install and support the best phone line solution for your business.
Phone Line Options
ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) Phone Lines are a traditional type of phone line which uses physical lines to transmit voice calls. ISDN is being phased out with the official stop sell of the product by the end of 2023 (where it can no longer be purchased) and completely switched off by December 2025. Depending on your area this could be earlier (The stop-sell of PSTN and ISDN services has already been applied in Salisbury).
Phone Line + has been designed to replace traditional analogue landlines, by using VoIP technology to deliver voice calls over an internet connection. This solution is perfect for tradespersons and small businesses.
SIP Phone Lines have been designed to replace traditional ISDN lines. They are connected and used via a phone system, they are highly scalable and more flexible compared to ISDN and you can easily add/remove lines whilst receiving high-quality calls and lower call costs. The total number of SIP channels in the UK today outweighs the number of ISDN channels.
Openreach Analogue Line and ISDN Switch Off
Openreach announced in 2015-16 that Analogue and ISDN Phone lines are to be phased out before they are switched off, permanently.
About SIP
SIP trunks is a phone line technology (similar and a replacement to ISDN) that can be deployed to an on-premise or cloud hosted solution phone system that will use virtual phone lines, created over your internet connection rather than physical wires to transmit voice calls.
SIP phone lines can be ordered with as little as 2 channels and can be scaled up (or down) in line with your business’s needs and without the need for physical lines to be installed (other than your broadband connection).
Difference between SIP and SIP Trunking?
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is the set of rules that allows you to initiate and terminate a communication session, whether it’s a voice call between 2 people or multiple calls between a whole team, using an IP address.
SIP trunking (also commonly referred to as a SIP Phone Line) is the service that allows you to put this protocol into use on a public network.
SIP Benefits
- Save Money on call costs and line rental – IP connectivity costs less than ISDN so you’ll benefit from inclusive calls to UK Geographic and UK Mobiles and free internal calls between sites.
- Flexibility with phone numbers – You can easily port your existing numbers across and SIP trunking enables you to reduce the number of PBX’s you need to maintain whilst maintaining your existing phone number(s) regardless if you move office. In addition, you can have out area numbers to give your business a more national presence.
- Compatibility – SIP is fully compatible with all modern phone systems.
- Scalability – SIP Trunks are perfect if you are growing (or even downsizing) and you want to retain your phone numbers. You are always in control because you can add/ remove phone lines and split calls on demand. There are no limits to the number of lines you can use, simultaneously.
- Remote Working – SIP is great for remote working as it provides the ability to integrate home workers with a SIP based phone system
- Business Continuity – Should your office need to be temporarily relocated, SIP trunking allows you to take your phone lines with you quickly and cost-effectively.
- Easy to Deploy – SIP is fast and easy to deploy and can scaled up and down, on-demand and quickly.
Alternative Phone Line Solutions to ISDN, SIP and Phone Line+
To bypass the need for a phone line and still receive calls, we recommend a Hosted Phone System. It is cloud-based which means to use the phone system and receive calls, you need a reliable internet connection (IP technology.)
You are effectively you are renting a phone system rather than purchasing your own dedicated phone system.
Discover more about Hosted Phone Systems
About PhoneLine+
Phone Line + has been designed to replace traditional landlines using VoIP technology to deliver voice calls over the broadband network.
Phone Line + is an easy-to-use software-based solution which is updated and maintained remotely. As an Administrator of your PhoneLine+ account, you’d have complete control over users; easily adding/removing users, allocating your phone numbers and changing privacy settings such as including any numbers that you want to block.
With Phone Line +, you’ll be able to:
- Access from any Device
- Manage more than one number
- Use Key Features such as Voicemail, Call Divert, Call Hold, Contact Directory, Call Transfer, Call Forwarding and Number Withholding.
- Set an Out of Hours profile
- Store business essential phone numbers
- Receive email notifications of missed calls and voicemails
- Access Call Analytics