The End of Landlines Is Nigh, So Your Business Must Be Prepared

Ofcom has recently found that British people use their landline phones half as much as they did six years ago, whereas the demand for mobile phones has increased tenfold. Mobile data usage has soared, with the average person’s monthly mobile data use standing at 1.9 gigabytes. This trend confirms the fact that people are turning to other services, like WhatsApp, Facetime, and Skype, rather than talking on the telephone. Ofcom also expects broadband calls to overtake traditional telephone calls in the coming years, for the first time.

The decline of the landline holds consequences for business. Here we show you why the end of landlines is nigh, and how your business can prepare for this:

Why has the landline fallen out of fashion?

Landline phones have been one of the most vital forms of communication within homes and businesses for decades. However, as our society has moved towards internet-based solutions and adopted mobile working lifestyles, we have been asking ourselves: are traditional landlines still worth it? Recently, research found that British people were becoming so dependent on mobile technology that a whopping 95% ‘wouldn’t struggle’ without a landline. This survey also indicated that a quarter of Brits did not even know their home phone number.

In 2018, Ofcom was committed to improving mobile phone coverage in rural areas, meaning that 83% of these areas now have complete 4G coverage. As a result, homes and businesses have switched to mobile services.

How are businesses handling this?

Telecom regulators suggest that businesses are now switching to mobile and VoIP-based voice services. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is the technology which converts your voice into a digital signal, allowing you to call directly from a computer, VoIP phone, or another data-driven device. This is useful because VoIP can turn a standard internet connection into a free phone call environment – meaning you can bypass phone company charges entirely.

Benefits of VoIP in business

For businesses, VoIP means more affordable communication costs, since users can either call for free or at a drastically lower call rate. VoIP service providers offer different packages. Some allow you to use your existing phones for unlimited calls at a lower price, tailored to suit the size of your company, your budget, and business need.

VoIP systems also require little to no installation and can generally run using your company’s existing equipment. If you choose to use VoIP through a computer, you will need a working sound card, as well as a headset – hardware which businesses usually have already.

Whereas a traditional phone line lets you talk to one person at a time, VoIP allows multiple calls, including group and conference calls – a huge advantage to any business. This means your employees, clients, and business associates can easily communicate and collaborate.

With VoIP, your business can also enjoy features that are impossible with traditional systems. For example, VoIP offers fax, voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, call blocking, and last number redial.