Business Phone Lines

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Business Phone Lines & Call Packages

The phone line infrastructure in the UK is being gradually phased out. When full fibre becomes available at your address, Openreach will ‘switch off’ the copper cable network that previously supported phone lines.

Regardless of your area, unless your business suffers from slow ADSL internet, digital phone lines offer the cheapest and best phone line service in 2024.

In this article, we will compare business phone line packages, providers, and costs in 2024.

Compare business phone line packages

Our telecoms experts have helped thousands of companies find cheaper and better business phone line deals. Here are the top three reasons to use our free comparison service today.

Compare multiple phone providers

Our independent comparison service simplifies comparing phone line packages offered by multiple trusted UK business phone line providers.

Bundled products for cheap prices

The best business phone line deals are often found by bundling a broadband package with a digital phone line service. Our trusted providers offer both.

Talk to our telecom experts

Business phone line packages come with a lengthy list of add-ons. Speak with our independent experts to find the right telephone solution for your business.

What to consider when choosing a new business phone line provider

Digital phone lines are ultra-reliable, but occasionally, problems may arise. It is important to choose a provider with a dedicated business support function that you can rely on to resolve issues quickly.

The best way to assess the reliability of a business phone line provider is to review what current customers are saying about their service. We recommend searching for real customer reviews on Trustpilot.

The top business phone line suppliers bundle phones and business broadband into a single package. Check out our review of the best business broadband providers to learn more about the top telecom providers in the UK.

Business phone line costs

A business phone contract typically includes a confusing array of potential monthly and one-off charges. When comparing business phone line providers, it’s important to be aware of all these costs.

Here, we’ll summarise the key components of the cost of business phone lines and provide advice on each.

UK call minutes

When selecting a business phone line package, we recommend estimating how many UK calls your business typically makes. Premium business phone line packages include unlimited UK minutes, while others provide a defined number of monthly inclusive minutes.

International call minutes

Consider the number of international call minutes your team typically makes. If ringing international numbers is rare, you can opt for a pay-as-you-go plan according to the call price list published on the website of your business phone line provider.

Monthly user fee

The cost of a business phone line typically scales with the number of users (and therefore phone numbers) your business requires. For larger businesses, phone line packages may incorporate many users into a single fixed monthly fee.

Phone hardware fee

Digital phone lines work directly with mobile phones, making dedicated phone hardware optional. If you prefer a desk phone that plugs into your local area network at your office, business phone line providers offer this at an additional fee per device.

Add-on fees

Digital phone lines offer a wide range of add-ons. To simplify the pricing of these add-ons, business phone line providers typically offer different package tiers, depending on the number of features your business requires access to.

Installation charges

The best business phone line packages do not include an installation fee or any other upfront charges. Instead, they involve a commitment to a monthly license fee over the duration of a fixed contract.

Response SLAs

Most business phone line providers offer enhanced support options, which commit your provider to a defined response time in case of a phone line fault. Find out more in our guide to service level agreements.

Phone lines for small businesses

In the digital age, small companies require reliable, flexible communication solutions that adapt to dynamic business needs.

Digital phone systems for small businesses offer seamless integration with cloud-based software solutions and the flexibility to be used anywhere.

Here, we’ll address some of the key aspects of phone lines for small businesses.

Services for small number of users

The cost of a business phone line scales with the number of users. In a typical business phone line contract, there is a fixed monthly license fee per user, making it affordable for small companies.

It’s also possible to sign up for a small business phone line package with only a limited number of monthly inclusive minutes. This is ideal for small businesses that use their phone line occasionally.

Best phone line package for a small business

The best small business phone line packages are bundled with small business broadband products.

Talk to our telecom experts to discuss the best small business phone line packages currently on offer in the market. Request a call back by simply entering a few business details above.

Benefits of a business phone line

In 2024, digital business phone lines will be the best choice for any company that has sufficient broadband speed.

Here are the top five reasons businesses are choosing digital phone line solutions:

It's cheaper

Unlike traditional landline phones, a digital phone system does not require the maintenance of its own physical infrastructure. This results in lower monthly rates, no line rental fees, and cheaper international calls compared to traditional phone lines.

It's scalable

Digital phone lines are ideal for growing businesses. Adding new users does not require an engineer to physically install new cables. A business phone line package can flexibly adapt to the changing needs of your business.

It's versatile

A business phone line system is much more versatile, improving the way businesses communicate. It allows your business to seamlessly route calls between office handsets and external mobile devices.

Software integrations

Business phone lines can easily integrate with project management, CRM, or other digital workplace solutions that your business uses every day.

High-quality calls

Digital business phone lines use fibre optic cables to transmit call data at the speed of light using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. This modern technology offers superior call quality compared to traditional landlines.

Broadband requirements for business phone lines

Modern business phone lines require a fast and reliable broadband connection. For this reason, we advise packaging a business broadband deal with your phone line contract.

Here are some important aspects to consider when integrating a phone line with your business broadband connection.

Business broadband redundancy

It’s important to realise that if your business broadband connection is faulty, a digital phone line will not work.

If having a phone line is business-critical, we recommend having a backup internet connection from:

An ‘unbreakable’ business broadband router that uses a mobile SIM to get 4G internet backup in case of a fault.
A Wi Fi dongle that can provide a backup wireless connection.
A second broadband connection that uses a different network (e.g., Virgin’s cable broadband network instead of Openreach fibre).

Visit our full article on business broadband redundancy for further information.

Broadband speed requirements

To have a reliable digital business phone line, you need enough internet bandwidth to support simultaneous calls by your employees.
With the current state of British broadband infrastructure, this means using one of the following broadband connection types:

The broadband speed requirements of your business should be considered in the context of all digital services used by your employees.

Visit our full guide on how much broadband speed does your business need.

What to expect with a business phone line?

The terminology around business phone lines is often confusing, making it difficult to understand what a business phone line system will deliver.

Our experts have summarised the three most important aspects of a digital business phone line:

Reliablity

Digital phone lines rely on the fibre optics technology used in business broadband connections. Modern fibre technology is much more reliable than the copper infrastructure used in older landline systems.

Call management

Cloud-based business phone line systems centralise phone system management with digital voicemails, multiple phone call routing, and transfers, eliminating the costs associated with physical phone systems.

Remote access

Digital phone calls can be securely routed to any device, including mobile phones. A business phone line will enable excellent communication across your business, even if your employees work across the globe.

The analogue phone line switch off

The system of copper cables spanning Britain has served the country well for over a hundred years, providing reliable infrastructure for phone lines.

However, with gradual improvements in broadband technology, the phone network is no longer the most efficient or cost-effective way to send and receive phone calls.

The landline phone system is being gradually phased out as Openreach lays its full fibre network across the country. Where full fibre is available, businesses will not be able to sign up for an analogue phone line. This is known as the PSTN stop sell.

For more information, visit our full guide to the big switch off.

Business phone line – FAQs

Our in-house commercial telecom experts answer key questions asked by business owners choosing their next phone system.

Is there a line rental charge?

There is no line rental associated with a digital business phone line.

Line rental is a charge present in landline phones, paying for the cost of maintaining the copper cables that connect your phone line to the Openreach infrastructure or KCOM phone infrastructure.

Digital business phone lines instead rely on a tethered broadband connection, so there is no line rental charge.

When switching business phone line providers, can I keep the same number?

Yes, you can keep your business phone numbers in a process called ‘porting’. This is a standard procedure that is carefully regulated by Ofcom.

Depending on your existing business phone line setup, our telecoms experts will be on hand to advise on the process of porting your existing phone numbers to your new contract.

What’s the difference between a business phone line and a home landline?

Home and business digital phone lines use the same technology to make and receive calls reliably.

However, there are a few key details to be aware of when comparing business and home phone line packages:

Price – Business phone line packages are typically larger contracts with many separate phone devices and numbers, making them more expensive than an individual phone used at home.
Repair times – Business phone line providers recognise that the reliability of a phone system is critical for businesses. Business phone line contracts usually include a guaranteed fault repair time.
Additional features – Business phone line contracts often include useful business features such as three-way calling.