The right phone service provider can help make your Grafton, ND business a great success. Most businesses, both small and large, have an online presence, but the telephone is still the first way that customers get in touch with a company they would like to do business with. Because of this, the right phone service is essential for anyone who owns or operates a business, so you will want to make sure you find a phone service provider that gives you the service that you need. The company you choose should be both affordable and reliable and able to provide you with different features. Before you make your final decision as to who you want to use, evaluate the service types available in your area. You'll find that analog service and VoIP service are the two types that are the main ones near you. Each one has different features and qualities, so it is important to compare the two before you decide which one is right for your business and for your budget.
| Provider | Plan Details | Monthly Rate* | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | RATED #1 BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS
| $19.99 | Details  142 Reviews |
 | Business phone service - no internet required
* 8.3% discount if paid for the year upfront | $17.41* | Details  7 Reviews |
 | Engineering for the Small Business
* per user per month | $9.95* | Details 1 Reviews |
 | Alliance
* 12% discount for subscribing and paying for a year upfront | $19.97* | Details 13 Reviews |
_2.png&contenttype=png "Talkroute Logo") | The phone system built to do business anywhere
* $5 per additional user | $19.00* | Details 1 Reviews |
_2.png&contenttype=png "Verizon logo") | Get 99.99% network reliability with Fios.
* Per month. Plus taxes, fees and equipment charges. | $69.00* | Details  11 Reviews |
The more recent type of phone service, VoIP, stands for voice over Internet protocol. This is a new alternative to using the more traditional analog phone lines of the past. VoIP phone service in Grafton, ND has been around for nearly a decade but has just now become more popular among business owners. Many people are making the switch to VoIP from their traditional PSTN lines. Newer companies, especially small start-ups, are also more likely to choose this type of service for their company. They'll get the same call quality as they would with analog but at a lesser price. Calls are carried through your current Internet provider, so it is important to make sure your connection is strong enough that all of your calls always go through. Use the Wirefly Internet Speed Test to make sure your current Internet service provider supports VoIP before choosing a company. If they don't, it would be worth the switch to find a company that does, as you will save money in the end.
The biggest difference between these two phone services is the way that phone calls are carried. Most people using the analog system know that their calls are run through cables and telephone lines. VoIP calls are actually digital and go through your Internet connection instead. This is a less expensive way of making phone calls than by the regular old analog system, so making and receiving calls costs the consumer less. It is also much cheaper to make international and long distance calls with VoIP. Look for a company who has a flat rate package available for these types of calls if you frequently make long distance phone calls from your place of business. You won't have to worry about the cost of per minute calls if you have a package that includes everything.
Another perk of VoIP service in Grafton, ND is that these phone service companies offer many different calling features to their customers. You're probably used to having perks such as call waiting, Caller ID, voicemail and call forwarding. VoIP service offers these and more, such as fax to email, remote access to voicemail, and multiple extensions.
Most VoIP providers strive to meet the needs of all of their Grafton, ND businesses by offering their service to companies both big and small. Maybe you only need one or two lines for your small, family owned company, or your larger corporation needs hundreds of extensions to meet the needs of all of their employees. No matter what you need for your company, there will be a phone service that can fit the bill.
Since VoIP phone service has become a popular choice in Grafton, ND among business owners, more and more providers will be fighting for your business. This can make it hard to decide on which one to choose, but you can use this to your advantage.
You'll need to first think about what you need for your business. Do you need multiple lines? Are you planning to expand your company in the near future? How much is in your budget for phone service? These are just a few important questions to ask yourself. Next, compare the differences and similarities between companies. Figure out what packages you can get and for what price. Bear in mind that you should always pick a reliable and reputable VoIP provider for your business. A reliable phone system is crucial for your company and its continued success.
Traditional phone service carries your calls over the PSTN, the public switched telephone network. This system is available nationwide, comprised of telephone lines, mobile networks, satellites and cables. The PSTN network, the first type of phone network used for business purposes, has existed for almost a century.
Using a PSTN telephone service in Grafton, ND costs more than VoIP. The PSTN infrastructure, being very old as well as large, tends to requires regular maintenance. It also has a more difficult time sending data over long distances.
When making calls traveling long distances over the PSTN, data stops at numerous locations along the way during the course of its transmission. Since the data flows through equipment owned by various companies, costs for PSTN calls can accrue expensive charges. Although most of the infrastructure being used to carry, switch and route calls is digital, the connection between the local central office and the customer continues to be analog.
Most Grafton, ND businesses use a private branch exchange, or a PBX, that routes the calls that they get within their office. When you have a business phone service, the PBX is what allows the different calling features to happen, such as call forwarding, voicemail, conference calls and more. You also need a PBX to run multiple extensions in your office.
A traditional PSTN phone system can host the PBX either at a remote location or actually at the place of business. Unfortunately, either option can be very expensive. When you need to set up your business phone system using a PBX, you will have to invest in a lot of different types of hardware. This could run your business at least $1,000 to start. Not only that, but installation is not included in this price, as well as the configuration of the equipment and any maintenance that will need to be done later on. You will either need to have someone in your company take care of any maintenance down the road or call the company to have a service representative come and fix the issue. This could run your company at least $100 an hour or more, which can get expensive when you need to call multiple times.
If you do choose to use a traditional PBX for your business, you should be aware that you may have to upgrade or expand it in the years ahead. This is also expensive. Not only that, you may be limited on the number of lines that you can add to your phone system. If you do need to add lines to your growing company, you will be required to pay for the hardware and the installation to accommodate your business growth. A PBX is also known to breakdown, which will also cost a great deal to fix.
