VoIP vs. Landline: What's the difference?

A lot of things have changed in business over the last few decades. Today, we rely on electronic communication extensively. It's easier than ever to communicate with people in remote offices or other countries. Some changes are obvious, but some, like VoIP vs. landline communication, are more subtle.

When most people say landline, they mean a fixed phone that sits on a desk, as compared to a mobile phone that allows you to make and receive calls when you're out of the office. It's rare for people to stop and think about whether their desk phone is a traditional or VoIP phone.

VoIP vs. Landline: A simple comparison

Traditional landline telephony hasn't changed much since it was invented. Many parts of the world still rely on copper wires to transmit plain old telephone calls. If that's all you want to do, copper wires will suffice.

However, there are many limitations associated with copper wires, which is why VoIP is so popular. Let's consider VoIP vs. landline for business users:

Landlines

Traditional telephony uses pulses of electricity to transmit sound over copper wires (or fiber-optic wires in newer installations).

Landlines work well for calls over short distances and small businesses with only a limited number of telephones in place. The main benefits are:

  • It's likely the property already has a landline installed
  • Landline phones are widely available
  • A landline works even if the power goes out
  • Landline phones don't require expertise to configure

However, there are some downsides to landlines:

  • There are limits to how many phones you can accommodate per line
  • It's not easy to add more numbers to a landline business phone setup
  • Long-distance calls may be expensive, and call quality might suffer
  • Landline setups are limited in terms of features
  • Setting up IVRs and other systems requires specialized hardware and expertise

VoIP for business

VoIP business phone plans offers a number of benefits over traditional telephony. With a VoIP setup, you use your business's broadband internet connection to transmit call data. When it comes to VoIP vs. landlines for business, VoIP usually wins because:

  • The main limiting factor to the number of lines you can have is your connection speed
  • Calling costs are far lower with VoIP than with landlines
  • VoIP numbers can be configured to point to more than one device
  • VoIP can be higher quality than a landline for long-distance calls
  • VoIP can be configured with redundant connections to protect against outages
  • VoIP can have extra features, such as video calling and visual voicemail

Communications security considerations

One thing to consider is VoIP vs. landline security. Standard telephony systems are difficult to attack unless the attacker has physical access to the network. VoIP systems, being connected to the internet, have more potential attack vectors. However, modern business communication platforms use encryption to prevent anyone who intercepts a call from listening in.

Choose a well-known VoIP provider such as 8x8 for your communications solutions, and you can be confident your systems are protected against common vulnerabilities and you're operating in compliance with data and privacy-related regulations. Contact us today to learn more about our contact center options.