Since its advent a century ago, the telephone has helped businesses connect with customers locally and around the world. With all the different phone systems for small business floating around, it can be vexing to conduct a thorough business phone service providers comparison. Yet, making an informed decision requires you to compare business phone plans on multiple fronts, including cost, features, scalability and long distance features. Learn how you can compare business phone service and choose a phone plan that fits your organization's needs.

Compare Business Phones: PRI vs. POTS

If you run a small organization, a basic business phone line service, aka Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), may be sufficient. In this arrangement, each telephone is equipped with an individual phone line and number. Each line transmits call signals through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

Most small- to medium-sized businesses today opt for Primary Rate Interface (PRI) phone service. In this setup, a PBX connects all of your organization's internal phones to the PSTN, with a maximum of 23 channels per trunk. Cable ONE Business lets you choose up to four PRI trunks at affordable prices with guaranteed voice quality and reliability, as well as attractive long distance features.

Compare Business Phone Plans: Cost and Scalability

When conducting a business phone systems comparison, cost is a major consideration. Smart businesses look for competitive pricing on the features they need without the extra bells and whistles. However, the sheer variety of offerings from different phone companies can make it hard to compare business phone service.

In the age of internet and mobile, many small businesses choose to bundle and integrate their phone and internet services. Cable ONE Business offers a variety of top business phone systems including hosted VoIP solutions and internet and phone bundles. You can choose the features and speeds you need and change your service to meet the evolving needs of your business. Affordable plans start at just $50 per month.

Choosing a Small Business Phone System: Features

A smart way to compare business phone plans is by searching for the features and support you need. For example, Cable ONE Business offers 24/7 dedicated tech support across all of its phone systems for small business. Questions to ask:

• Do you have a single site or multiple locations?
• Where are they located?
• What type of incoming connectivity do you or will you have- SIP, T1/PRI, analog?
• How many extensions will you need, including future growth?
• What type of network infrastructure do you have in place?
• What type of data connectivity do you have and how much bandwidth?
• What type of internet connection do you have?
• If you have multiple sites, how are they connected- MPLS, T1, Cable, DSL, VPN?
• What type of phone equipment do you have currently?
• Do you have any remote workers?
• Do you have any feature requirements? Which features are most important?
• What is your budget?
• Do you prefer a hosted PBX (cloud-based phone system) or a premises-based (on-site) solution?
• Do you plan on installing yourself or will you need assistance?
• Do you currently have an IT resource who manages your company’s network and/or firewall? Who is it?
• Are you under contract with any phone service providers? Are you currently using another hosted or cloud provider? If so, why are you leaving them
• Do you have local or toll free numbers that you would like to port into our network for use with other services? If so, please provide those numbers.
• Do you have any fax requirements?

For most businesses, bundling internet with phone opens up a world of features for only slightly more than the cost of either individual service.

Why Cable ONE Business Can Provide You with the Best Business Phone Line

We finish up our business phone service providers comparison by encouraging you to explore your options. Phone companies should put your needs first, not the other way around. With flexible and scalable phone services and 24/7 support to keep your business up and running, Cable ONE Business is ready to help your enterprise reach its full potential.

Looking for a Reliable Phone System? Contact Us Today!

Call your local Cable ONE Business representative today to learn more about reliable phone systems for small business.