If your business is considering switching to or already uses VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems, it's important to know whether your current internet connection can handle VoIP calls reliably. Simply put, VoIP phone calls travel over your internet connection rather than traditional phone lines. This means your internet needs to be fast, stable, and have low delays to ensure clear calls without dropouts or echoes.
Why Reliable Internet Matters for VoIP
For Australian small and mid-sized businesses, poor internet quality can lead to dropped calls, delays, or poor voice quality. This impacts staff productivity when they have to repeat calls or troubleshoot issues. It can also harm customer trust if clients experience poor communication. In some industries, clear and reliable communication is critical for compliance with privacy and record-keeping standards.
Imagine a 50-person accounting firm in Melbourne that recently switched to a VoIP system to reduce phone costs and increase flexibility. However, their existing internet plan had limited upload speeds and occasional congestion during peak hours. As a result, staff reported frequent call quality issues, causing frustration and lost billable time. Their IT partner conducted a network assessment and recommended upgrading to a business-grade internet plan with guaranteed speeds and Quality of Service (QoS) settings prioritising voice traffic. After the upgrade, call quality stabilised and productivity improved.
How to Check if Your Internet Supports VoIP
There are several practical steps you can take to assess your internet connection's readiness for VoIP:
- Test your internet speed and latency: Use online tools to measure download/upload speeds and ping times. VoIP generally requires at least 100 kbps upload/download per call and latency below 150 ms for good quality.
- Check for packet loss and jitter: These are technical terms for lost or delayed data packets that cause call issues. Some speed test tools or your IT provider can help measure these.
- Review your current internet plan: Confirm if you have a business-grade connection with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) guaranteeing uptime and minimum speeds.
- Ask about Quality of Service (QoS): QoS settings on your network equipment prioritise VoIP traffic to maintain call quality even when the network is busy.
- Evaluate your network equipment: Older routers or unmanaged switches may not support QoS or handle VoIP traffic well.
- Discuss with your IT provider or VoIP vendor: They can perform a detailed network assessment and recommend upgrades or configuration changes.
Questions to Ask Your IT Provider or VoIP Vendor
- Can you test my current internet connection for VoIP readiness?
- Do I need to upgrade my internet plan or equipment to support VoIP?
- How will you ensure call quality during peak business hours?
- What SLAs are in place for internet uptime and performance?
- Can you configure QoS on my network to prioritise voice traffic?
Checking your internet's suitability for VoIP is a practical step to avoid communication disruptions and maintain professional customer interactions. If you're unsure about your current setup or how to improve it, consulting a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor can provide tailored advice and help implement necessary changes without unnecessary expense.