It’s no surprise that slowly, but surely, landlines are being phased out. How many of you still use a landline at your home or business? With the introduction of VoIP phone systems, plain old telephone service (POTS) is diminishing, but will it ever go away completely? If major phone companies have any say, then the answer is yes. AT&T has already chosen two cities to be guinea pigs for eliminating landlines completely.

Leaving landlines behind means turning to VoIP phone systems and mobile services, both if which do not provide the reliability of POTS. Are we willing to sacrifice reliability for cost and convenience?

A switch to VoIP phone systems enables a significant cut in costs, providing both phone and internet service for one low price, with the benefits of advanced features. Convenience through integrated communications is enticing enough, but a lower cost is the icing on the cake. While the Internet can provide a faster connection and the ability to sync all of our communications, its connection is unpredictable in comparison to POTS. With inconsistent connections, call quality and ability can be compromised.

With POTS, great reliability is standard. Think back to your landline: how often did you encounter a dropped call? Was the sound quality, more or less, stable and clear? There are certain aspects of POTS that cannot be replaced, but this dependability comes at a cost. POTS typically cost more and features, such as long-distance calling, are added expenses. On the other hand, familiarity makes landlines easy to set up and use.

The transition from POTS to VoIP phone systems seems inevitable and quite difficult. While many have already abandoned POTS for a strictly mobile phone communications, to get rid of it completely will take time. Reliability seems to be the main issue, with alarm systems and public safety services expecting stable, unfailing connection in times of emergency.

Have you switched from POTS to a VoIP system? Or do you use your mobile phone as your main communication device? Which do you prefer? Do you believe there’s no escaping the eradication of landlines? Share your thoughts – find us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.

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Tags: business phone systems, phone systems, plain old telephone service, voip business phone system, voip phone system, voip phone system for small business