Leased lines and VoIP – The Benefits

In this article we’ll be looking at two different technologies and how they combine to create an ideal telephony environment

What is VoIP?

Voice over IP is technology that enables you to make your calls via the internet rather than through old-style analogue telephone lines. Technically, all you need is an account with a VoIP provider and an active internet connection.

Why use VoIP?

Because technology is changing. You see it every year again and again, new TVs, new mobile phones, new computers – it never stops. Analogue phone lines, or landlines, are quickly being phased and being replaced with the next stage of telephony – Voice over IP.

Cheaper calls, customisable systems and less capital and infrastructure investment are just a few of the reasons that businesses are making the switch over to VoIP.

Image Source: Pixabay

What are leased lines?

Leased lines are private lines that deliver internet access to you over Ethernet or Fibre technologies. Unlike FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) and ADSL broadband your speed is guaranteed and you don’t share bandwidth with anyone else. Speeds can range from 1Mbps – 10Gbps, FTTC can reach speeds of up to 80Mbps, so you can imagine the difference can make.

Why use a leased line?

You could compare the difference between FTTC and other broadband technologies and Leased Lines to that of a motorway.

FTTC is akin to driving on a busy highway but still being in the fast lane. You’re sort of at the mercy of those in front of you because, despite driving fast, you’re still sharing the lane with hundreds of other users who congest your journey.

Having a leased line is more like having the whole motorway to yourself. There’s no congestion, no other drivers and you can go at a pace which suits you.

A match made in telephony harmony

Here’s why you should combine the two:

Reliability

Leased lines often come with a guaranteed uptime percentage from ISPs. Usually they are around 99.99% which is pretty amazing. And if your connection is up 99.99% of the time it means your phone system will be up for the same amount of time. Your standard ADSL / FTTC service will not come with any guarantee, whether that be speed or uptime.

Service affecting faults

Despite the uptime being 99.99% there can still be service affecting faults. They can range from physical damage to your line or problems on the ISPs network. Fortunately leased lines come with another guarantee to have your service back up the same day, and sometimes within hours of you reporting the fault. In comparison, ADSL and FTTC faults can take days and sometimes weeks to resolve.

Quality of service

A leased line is your private internet connection. It’s completely and wholly yours which means that you are not subject to the contention caused on ADSL / FTTC services by the hundreds of other local users.

Your routes through the internet and to the outside world are far less congested which means your VoIP traffic gets priority and you will notice that your call quality will go through the roof and stay there.