Small businesses really just want cheap voice service that works. They just want TDM for less. Although a prospect today has copper lines from AT&T and can’t stand the poor call quality on the copper, what happens when the ILEC decides that it doesn’t want to maintain the copper plant anymore?

On Rad’s Radar

By Peter Radizeski

I have to say that 2015 isn’t looking good for VoIP.

I have had three clients move to TDM from VoIP lines, even one who really wanted SIP, but with three lines, why? Small businesses really just want cheap voice service that works. They just want TDM for less. Although a prospect today has copper lines from AT&T and can’t stand the poor call quality on the copper, what happens when the ILEC decides that it doesn’t want to maintain the copper plant anymore?

One insurance agent did buy OTT VoIP from Fonality directly because she had more questions about the software integration than I could answer and assurances that I couldn’t provide. But integration seems to be the one benefit that hosted VoIP has over TDM even for small businesses.

One customer is waiting on POTS lines to a new building that the ILEC is hesitant to deliver. The fire marshal won’t give a certificate of occupancy without the POTS line for the fire alarm though. It is in a loop right now.

I know that everything is going to VoIP but the fire and building codes have to catch up with the technology. Also, the VoIP providers have to do more interconnection so that the call quality improves. You would think that by now over 10 years later most VoIP providers would be peering to allow for fax, HD voice and better call quality all around. Not yet.

Meanwhile, SIP trunking is a boring sale, but POTS is a fast transaction. It is a small sale too. The big worry is the dissatisfied customer calling me about problems because the OTT VoIP riding over their best effort Internet isn’t perfect. It makes the sale less profitable. It also soils my brand for recommending a provider that delivers a service below customer expectations. These are the reasons that VARs and MSPs shy away from offering voice. At least by using a telecom agent, they are a little removed from the voice sale so it ends up being my fault the cheap voice doesn’t work on cheap Internet.