Voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) telephony could soon get cheaper and faster, but there are several considerations to make before choosing a provider for your business.

MyBroadband asked Switch Telecom, Dimension Data, and Euphoria Telecom the most important aspects to consider when choosing a VoIP provider.

According to Euphoria Telecom CEO John Woollam, VoIP telephony has increased in popularity due to its affordability and flexibility.

He highlighted the most important aspects to consider when choosing a VoIP provider:

• Reliability — your provider should provide a consistent and reliable service to minimise downtime. Ensure to ask about service licence agreements, uptimes, and query response times.
• Redundancy — this consideration involves the provider’s data centre and connectivity. Does it have multiple carriers to ensure traffic isn’t disrupted if one connection goes down?
• Scalability — adding and removing extensions can be done as business needs change. Make sure you choose a provider with a flexible service offering.
• Security — any Internet traffic is a target for hackers and fraudsters, including VoIP traffic. Ask your provider detailed questions about their platform’s security features and ensure you’ve taken the steps needed on your network to keep your telephony secure.
• Customer support — a good provider will have support teams available to address any issues as quickly as possible.
• Features — consider any additional features that could be helpful to your business needs. For example, does it need time and attendance logs, call analytics, or a digital receptionist?

Woollam explained that, regarding scalability, a VoIP telephony solution needs to grow and change as your business does.

“Your business will change over time, and your telephone solution needs to grow and change with you,” Woollam said.

“Ideally, you want the scalability of a Software as a Service solution that is evolving in terms of functionality to keep up with your needs, and can scale up and down as your business requires.”

Switch Telecom managing director Shannon Swanepoel told MyBroadband that although the cheapest services might be the most enticing, they can cost you more in the long run.

“It’s important to consider a range of factors beyond just price when choosing a VoIP provider,” she said.

“The cheapest offering isn’t always going to save you the most; in fact, it could start costing you money if you are unable to make and receive calls or if the quality of your calls impacts your ability to have a conversation.”

Swanepoel highlighted that South Africa is becoming a high-priority target for telecom fraud and that ensuring the provider you choose protects against such events is essential.

“Telecommunication fraud is a billion-dollar industry worldwide, and South Africa is fast becoming a number one target for international crime syndicates,” she said.

“It’s essential that your VoIP provider has systems and processes that will mitigate against this risk.”

“Things like the auto-provisioning of VoIP handsets and softphones not only make deployment faster, they also add an additional layer to prevent telecoms fraud.”

She added that “mature VoIP providers” usually have several layers of security in place within their networks and systems.

Swanepoel added that features and functionality to suit your business needs are also important.

“Technology is constantly advancing, and it’s important that your VoIP provider offers cutting-edge functionality,” she said.

“It’s also important that they continue to release features that will enhance the way you do business and communicate with your clients.”

The ideal provider should be registered with the Number Portability Company and manage its own network and interconnects.

Dimension Data’s infrastructure solutions product portfolio manager, Seelan Gopalan, told MyBroadband that cost, quality, and security are the most important aspects to consider when choosing a VoIP provider.

“Many clients are feeling the aftereffects of a restricted and unfriendly trading economy, so it’s important to choose a VoIP provider that bills and charges clients at market-related rates without compromising on quality or service,” said Gopalan.

“Security is of the utmost importance. In the past, we have seen instances where client environments are compromised, and fraudsters rack up thousands of rands in bills, which the client is inevitably responsible for.”

“A Service Provider that constantly enhances its security landscape and has systems in place that can detect fraudulent activity in almost real-time is essential,” he added.

Good news for VoIP telephony providers

Euphoria Telecoms’ chief technology officer Nic Laschinger told MyBroadband that the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) will auction ten bands later this year that would “definitely be a win for VoIP”.

“Icasa’s proposed radio frequency spectrum auction is good news for VoIP telephony providers and Internet users in South Africa as a whole because it will enable further rollout and take up of 4G and 5G services,” said Laschinger.

“Icasa is auctioning a further ten bands this year, to be followed by a further auction in 2024. More spectrum means better coverage, better speeds, fewer black spots, and generally better service overall, a win for everyone and definitely a win for VoIP.”

He added that allocating the new spectrum would make it cheaper for operators to roll out mobile broadband. This will have a knock-on effect on pricing, benefitting both businesses and consumers.

The breakdown of bands to be auctioned by Icasa is as follows:

• IMT700 — 703–733MHz and 758–788MHz
• IMT750 — 733–758MHz
• IMT800 — 791–821MHz and 832–862MHz
• IMT900 — 880–915MHz and 925–960MHz
• IM2300 — 2.3–2.4GHz
• IMT3300 — 3.3–3.4GHz
• IMT3500 — 3.4–3.6GHz

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