VoIP Phone Systems for Perth Businesses

Telstra and other carriers have been progressively switching off Australia's legacy copper phone network. If your Perth business is still running a traditional PSTN phone system, now is the time to plan your move to VoIP - not when your existing system stops working.

What Is VoIP?

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) routes phone calls over your internet connection instead of a dedicated phone line. For business use, this means your phone system runs on the same NBN or fibre connection your computers use - with no separate phone line rental, lower call costs, and far more flexibility.

The Benefits for Perth Businesses

Lower costs - no line rental, cheaper call rates (especially for interstate and international), and one consolidated bill
Works anywhere - staff can use their business number from a desktop phone, laptop softphone, or mobile app whether they're in the office, at home, or on a job site
Easy to scale - adding or removing extensions takes minutes, not a technician visit
Richer features - call queues, auto-attendants, voicemail-to-email, call recording, and CRM integration are standard on most business VoIP platforms
One number, multiple devices - your business number rings on your desk phone and mobile simultaneously

What to Look for in a Business VoIP System

Not all VoIP systems are equal. For Perth businesses, the key features to look for:

Australian-hosted infrastructure - lower latency and better call quality than offshore-hosted systems
SIP trunking flexibility - the ability to keep your existing numbers when switching providers
Mobile app - your team should be able to make and receive business calls on their mobile without giving out personal numbers
Quality of Service (QoS) support - your router should be able to prioritise voice traffic to prevent call quality issues during heavy network use
Failover options - what happens to calls if your internet goes down? A good VoIP system should have a fallback routing option

Microsoft Teams Phone - Worth Considering

If your Perth business already uses Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams Phone is worth evaluating. It adds a full business phone system directly into Teams - your staff make and receive external calls from within the Teams app they're already using for chat and video. It eliminates the need for a separate phone system entirely and works seamlessly across desktop, laptop, and mobile.

The Network Requirements

VoIP call quality is directly tied to your internet connection. Each concurrent call uses roughly 100 Kbps of bandwidth - well within the capacity of any modern NBN plan. However, call quality suffers if your network isn't configured to prioritise voice traffic. Before deploying VoIP, ensure your router supports QoS and your NBN connection is stable with low latency (under 20ms ideally).

A 4G/5G backup connection is strongly recommended for any business that can't afford to miss calls - if the NBN goes down, calls should failover automatically.

Keeping Your Existing Numbers

You can almost always keep your existing Perth business phone numbers when switching to VoIP - this is called number porting. The process typically takes 5–10 business days. Plan for a transition period and test the new system thoroughly before porting your main business number across.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we keep our existing phone number when we switch to VoIP?

In almost all cases, yes, this is called number porting and typically takes 5 to 10 business days to complete. It's worth planning for a transition period and testing the new system thoroughly before your main business number is ported across, rather than switching everything over on the same day.

What happens to our phones if the internet goes down?

Without a backup plan, calls stop working, since VoIP relies entirely on your internet connection. A 4G or 5G backup connection with automatic call failover is worth having for any business that can't afford to miss calls, so incoming calls can be rerouted if your main connection drops.

Is Microsoft Teams Phone a good option if we already use Microsoft 365?

It's worth evaluating seriously. It adds a full business phone system directly into Teams, so staff make and receive external calls from the same app they already use for chat and video, which removes the need for a separate phone system entirely.

Do we need special internet speed for VoIP to work well?

Not really in terms of raw speed, each concurrent call only uses around 100 Kbps, well within any modern NBN plan's capacity. Call quality is more about your router being configured to prioritise voice traffic (QoS) and having low, stable latency, ideally under 20ms, rather than needing a faster plan.

Configuring QoS and a reliable failover connection is part of the network setup work we do for Perth businesses moving to VoIP.

Network Setup →

Ready to upgrade your Perth business phone system?

Call 0433 087 091 - we'll recommend the right VoIP solution for your business size and budget.

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For related reading, see our guides to Microsoft Teams Phone for Perth Businesses and SD-WAN Explained for Perth Businesses.