Written by Eamonn Curley Updated on 4 April 2024 On this page 5 Factors That Make VoIP More Reliable Than Landlines How To Choose a Reliable VoIP Provider Verdict FAQS Expand Our site is reader-supported – by clicking our links, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral. Business owners commonly ask us, “Is VoIP reliable?” That’s because no business wants to be without a phone system, even for a few minutes.In fact, many business owners have put off switching to a VoIP phone system because of uncertainty over its reliability. However, with the big switch-off planned for 2025, UK businesses will soon need to put their trust in digital calling.The good news is that VoIP phones can be just as reliable—or even more so—than landline phones. We’ll explain everything you need to know about VoIP reliability and help you choose the best provider. 5 Factors That Make VoIP More Reliable Than LandlinesLet’s explore why you can rely on VoIP phones and how they’re better than landlines.Most Providers Promise Less Than 6 Minutes of Downtime Each YearMany of the top business VoIP providers in the UK guarantee 99.999% uptime. That means that in a typical year, your phone system will be unavailable for less than six minutes in total.VoIP providers accomplish this by building highly resilient networks of servers to ensure your calls can almost always get through.Landline phones, on the other hand, can experience hours of downtime each year. Just think about how long it typically takes for the phone company to restore service after a telephone line goes down in a storm.Weather Is Less Likely to Take Out Your Phone ServiceAnother benefit to having set up a VoIP system is that bad weather is a lot less likely to knock your phone system offline compared to landline systems. That’s because most internet cables in the UK are buried underground, whereas telephone lines are largely aboveground and exposed to wind and rain.As long as you have internet service and power, you’ll be able to make VoIP phone calls.That said, landlines do have one major advantage: you can continue making calls on your landline phone system even if the power goes out. That can be useful in an emergency, but it’s not a scenario that most businesses need to worry about.Even in that case, VoIP calling will still work on smartphones or any VoIP devices that can connect to cellular data networks. A growing number of VoIP desk phones now include cellular backup so that they can keep functioning if your WiFi network goes down.HD Codecs Have Made Sound Quality Better Than EverOne of the benefits of landline phones vs. VoIP phones has long been that landlines offer better voice quality. However, that’s starting to change thanks to new high-definition audio codes that capture your voice in impressively clear quality.Thanks to this improved technology and the arrival of high-speed broadband throughout the UK, it’s very unlikely that you’ll experience sound quality issues like VoIP latency or jitter.You Can Use Multiple DevicesOne reliability concern that business owners often don’t consider is that your phone could break or stop working unexpectedly. If that happens with a landline phone, you’re not going to be able to make or receive calls until you replace it.With a VoIP phone system, on the other hand, you have several options. You can set up temporary call forwarding to another number or make or receive calls on your computer or smartphone. A broken phone won’t prevent you from communicating with employees or customers.Calls Are End-to-end EncryptedVoIP phones aren’t just reliable—they’re also highly secure. Most VoIP providers use end-to-end encryption, a security method that ensures no one can listen in on your calls.That’s not the case for landlines, which are susceptible to wiretapping. Anyone who gets physical access to your phone line could potentially listen in on your business’s most important communications.If you want to make your VoIP phone system even more secure, consider using a VoIP virtual private network (VPN). This adds another layer of encryption and masks your device’s IP address, making it impossible for anyone to trace your location. ▶ Read more: VoIP Security ExplainedTransitioning Your Workforce to VoIP Phones: A Guide How To Choose a Reliable VoIP ProviderNot all VoIP providers are equally reliable, so it’s important to choose wisely. We’ll explore some of the most important factors to consider when evaluating a VoIP provider’s reliability.Network UptimeThe first thing to check is whether the provider is meeting its stated uptime goal. You can check each provider’s X account to see when they have issued downtime notices. You can also check Downdetector.com to see how often other users have reported connectivity issues with a VoIP provider.Service-level AgreementA service-level agreement, or SLA, is a contract that some VoIP providers offer to guarantee your phone system’s uptime. SLAs can also cover call quality and maintenance schedules.If your provider doesn’t live up to their SLA, they’ll refund some of the cost of your VoIP phone plan. That means your provider is highly incentivized to keep your system up and running, and you’ll be compensated if it doesn’t.Customer SupportContact the support team for any VoIP provider you’re considering. This is an easy way to find out whether your provider will be there when you need them and how long it might take to get a response.You should also look for VoIP providers that offer onboarding assistance when you sign up. An onboarding specialist can help you set up your VoIP phone system so that you get the highest possible call quality and system reliability.Security CertificationsMany VoIP providers have achieved security certifications that indicate their network has met strict standards for protecting customers’ information and keeping out bad actors. Look for providers that are compliant with Service Organization Control Type 2 (SOC II) requirements, a widely used security certification in the telecom industry.Software UpdatesWhile frequent software updates can be irritating, they’re actually a good thing. They indicate that a VoIP provider is committed to maintaining its product and keeping it secure against new online threats.You can check a prospective VoIP provider’s software updates page to see how frequently they release software updates and bug fixes. Verdict VoIP phone systems can be more reliable than landline systems. They experience just minutes of downtime each year, are less impacted by weather, and offer crystal-clear sound quality. In addition, you can make VoIP calls on multiple devices, and all of your calls will be secured with end-to-end encryption.When choosing a VoIP provider, check their uptime, SLA, customer support, and security to ensure they’re reliable. For more help getting your VoIP phone system off the ground, check out our complete guide to transitioning your workforce to VoIP. FAQs Is VoIP secure? VoIP phone systems are very secure because they use end-to-end encryption. This prevents anyone from listening in on your calls. Even if a malicious actor were to intercept your call data, they wouldn’t be able to decipher the encrypted data. What happens to VoIP if the internet goes down? If the internet goes down because of a broker router or power outage, your VoIP phone system will temporarily stop working. However, your VoIP provider can automatically route calls to a smartphone, which will continue to work as long as cellular networks are operating. You can also continue making VoIP calls from your smartphone using cellular data. Can I use VoIP without WiFi? You can make and receive VoIP calls on a smartphone without WiFi as long as you’re connected to cellular data networks. Some VoIP desk phone models also enable you to connect to cellular data networks if your business’s WiFi network goes down. Written by: Eamonn Curley Content Manager Eamonn is an experienced B2B writer and content manager, having managed and grown several B2B business blogs in the fitness and hospitality space.