Phone System Face-off: PSTN vs VoIP

PHONE SYSTEM FACEOF PSTN VolP VS DEDICATED PHONE LINE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY Despite rapid advances in telecommunications and internet telephony, the PSTN vs VolP debate is still a strong-and valid-one. Who will win this showdown? REQUIRED BANDWIDTH (ON AVERAGE) 6 4 Kbps 10 Kbps IN EACH DIRECTION IN EACH DIRECTION WINNER: VolP VOIP is the technical winner in this category because it does take less bandwidth. Internet telephony overall, however, is a less stable connection than calls made over PSTN. 110 PRICING {FREE PSTN DOES NOT OFFER VOIP OFFERS FREE CALLS FREE CALLING TO OTHER VOIP LINES Connection to mobile and Plans are usually $25-30/ month. landlines cost ¢1.2-2.6/ minute. WINNER: VolP VOIP-to-VolP is free for local AND international calls, whereas PSTN international calling costs can be very expensive. 210 SCALABILITY UPGRADE/PURCHASE HARDWARE AND MORE DEDICATE LINES. UPGRADE SOFTWARE AND INCREASE BANDWIDTH WINNER: VolP Hardware is more expensive, both to setup and maintain. In contrast, upgrading the software needed for VolIP is often a simple process. 310 BUSINESS CONTINUITY / DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICE REMAINS ACTIVE SERVICE TERMINATES As phone jacks don't require Without power and electricity, only cordless phones interconnectivity, VoIP will be affected by power outages. service is lost. WINNER: PSTN PSTN is by far the winner of this category. Any business using a purely VolP phone system must have a backup plan. 311 REMOTE EXTENSIONS A DEDICATED LINE IS NEEDED EXTENSIONS TYPICALLY COME FOR EACH EXTENSION AS A STANDARD FEATURE WINNER: VolP Remote extensions are another area where PSTN requires costly additions. 41 CALL WAITING CALL FORWARDING CALL TRANSFERRING PSTN VolP PSTN VolP PSTN VolP For free or extra fee Extra cost Extra cost Extra cost For free WINNER: VolP VolP is definitely the leader in special feature availability-but be aware that not all VolP services are created equal. If you need certain features, be sure that your service has the capability. 511 EMERGENCY CALLING ENABLED AS A STANDARD RARELY PROVIDED FEATURE WINNER: PSTN Though some VolP services offer emergency calling, it is very limited and calls are not traceable to location. 5 2 THE FINAL COUNT VOIP DEFINITELY HAS THE HIGHER TALLY IN TERMS OF. Cost Scalability Special Features HOWEVER, IT LACKS IN.. Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Emergency Calling Which are some of the most important services! IF YOUR BUSINESS REGULARLY MAKES INTERNATIONAL CALLS You need to be able to offset the cost of PSTN, but improve the reliability of VolP. How? You can get the full benefits of internet telephony by activating virtual numbers across the globe, then forwarding them to your own phone system at home. Whether you have PSTN or VoIP, a call forwarding service with a sophisticated hosted PBX system will give you all the features you need to handle all your telecommunication needs. SOURCES: TollfreeForwarding http://www.tolifreeforwarding.com/blog/is-a-virtual-phone-system-right-for-my-small-business/ http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/feature/PSTN-vs-VoIP-Whats-best-for-your-business