The Circuit Decides Your Call Quality
Network operators across South Africa are decommissioning the copper lines most SME offices still use, and the cutover date is fixed by the network, not by you. Moving to VoIP is not a simple handset swap: quality depends on the bandwidth and prioritisation of the circuit carrying it. Fix that connection, as part of our infrastructure builds, and the platform on top holds up under a full call queue, not a quiet test line.
Where Bandwidth, Latency And Failover Diverge For Voice Calls
A phone system only ever sounds as good as the connection carrying it. These are the six things that actually decide whether a call stays clear or breaks up, the same things we check before any VoIP line goes live.
Bandwidth Per Call
Every simultaneous call needs its own slice of the circuit: roughly 85 to 100kbps for an uncompressed G.711 call, or 30 to 40kbps compressed with G.729.
Jitter
Jitter is the variation in delay between packets arriving, and anything above roughly 30ms turns a clear call into one that sounds broken up or robotic, even when the raw bandwidth is there.
Latency
One way latency above about 150ms is where callers start talking over each other because the delay becomes audible, so round trip time matters as much as the circuit's advertised speed.
Quality Of Service (QoS)
QoS is the rule that puts voice packets ahead of a file download or a video call sharing the same line. Without it, a fast connection can still produce calls that break up.
Failover
VoIP does not reroute itself when the internet drops. That has to be built in on purpose, sending calls to a mobile network, a second site, or an auto attendant until the primary line is back.
None of these factors work in isolation. A circuit with enough bandwidth still produces broken calls if jitter and latency aren't managed, and QoS only helps if it's actually configured on the router, not just present as a feature. Before signing with any provider, ask how failover is handled and get the number porting timeline in writing. That's what separates a VoIP setup that just works from one that needs constant troubleshooting.
Every Stage Covered When We Move Your Calls To VoIP
Each stage below is scoped and priced before work starts, not discovered halfway through the project once numbers are already ported and the old lines are gone.
Circuit Assessment
We test the actual connection the calls will run on for bandwidth, jitter, latency and packet loss, not the number printed on the ISP’s brochure, so the platform is sized to what the line can really carry.
Hosted PBX Setup
Extensions, call routing, voicemail, call recording and auto attendants are configured in the cloud platform, so changes to opening hours, ring groups or greetings are done in software instead of a callout to a box on site.
Number Porting
Every existing number in the system is ported across on a scheduled cutover date, so the business keeps ringing on the same numbers throughout the move, with no gaps in inbound calls.
QoS Configuration
Voice traffic is set to take priority over everything else on the line at the router, so a large upload or a video call elsewhere in the office does not degrade a call already in progress.
Failover Routing
A fallback path, whether that is a mobile network, a second site or an auto attendant, is configured before go live, so a dropped internet connection does not mean a dead phone system.
Teams Integration
Where calling needs to sit inside the tools your staff already use, the platform is connected into your Microsoft 365 environment, so calls, chat and meetings live in one place instead of a separate app.
Proof Your Calls Will Hold Up Before You Commit
Anyone can promise clear calls on a slide. This is what we put in front of you before you commit to anything.
A Live MOS Benchmark
Before sign off, we run a demo call over your actual connection type at a realistic call volume and score it with MOS (Mean Opinion Score), so you hear proof of call quality rather than a spec sheet claim.
A Clean Porting Record
Numbers move across on a scheduled cutover with no gap in inbound calls, using a process we have already run for other clients without lost calls along the way.
An Uptime SLA
The hosted platform carries an uptime commitment with a real number behind it, backed by service credits if that number isn’t met, so the guarantee is enforceable, not just a claim on a page.
Client References
You can speak to existing clients directly about how many extensions they moved, how cutover day went, and what changed for their team once the new platform was live.
What Actually Sets The Price For VoIP And Connectivity
A ten-extension office replacing an ageing PBX and a fifty-seat team moving off copper before their lines shut down get different quotes. Extension count sets the licence fee, but the connectivity underneath usually costs more: a circuit with no spare capacity for concurrent calls needs a bandwidth upgrade priced in before the phone system is. Hosted PBX, managed off site, usually costs less upfront than an on premise build, though the monthly fee differs. Existing handsets can often be reused; a refresh or a softphone-only rollout changes that line instead, and new cabling to desks or boardrooms is priced as a structured cabling project, not the phone platform.
01 How many extensions, and what licence tier
02 Circuit capacity, and any required bandwidth upgrade
03 Hosted platform or an on premise build
Who This is for
This fits a business on stable broadband, ideally fibre, that's replacing an ageing on-premise PBX, opening a new site and needing numbers live fast, or facing the copper network shutdown. It doesn't fit a site with unreliable internet, that's a connectivity project first, handled through our managed IT support, or a business needing only one or two mobile lines.
How It Works
frequently asked questions
Can we keep our existing phone numbers?
Yes, number porting is a standard part of the setup process.
What happens to our calls if the internet goes down?
Failover options are built into the connectivity design specifically to keep calls and connectivity running.
Does this integrate with Microsoft Teams?
Yes, VoIP can be integrated with Teams and other unified communications platforms.
Why do my calls sometimes sound choppy or break up even with fast internet?
Speed alone doesn’t guarantee quality. Jitter and latency affect how smoothly voice packets arrive, and without QoS prioritising call traffic over other downloads, even a fast connection can produce broken up calls.
A meeting is only as good as the connection carrying it.
Compare connectivity & VoIP options.