What Is a WiFi VoIP Phone?

The WiFi VoIP phone is similar in functions to the regular VoIP phone and has circuitry which enables it to transmit digital formatted calls over the Internet connection. The phone is cordless and comes with the same equipment as hard-wired VoIP phones- headset, display and perhaps a PSTN port.

WiFi VoIP phones have become integrated parts of almost every business in the last few years. It is simply because WiFi VoIP Phones and telephone systems in general enable better communication both within and outside an organisation, which is crucial in today’s customer-oriented world.

Nowadays, customers require 24/7 customer service and they do not want to experience long waiting times when contacting a company. Accordingly, companies realised that having a well functioning telephone system is extremely important, both for private and public organisations.

One of the best options for companies wishing to implement office telephone systems are of course VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems. More precisely, WiFi VoIP Phones.

If you are interested in getting professional advice about WiFi VoIP Phones please fill in the form at the top of this page. It only takes a minute and you can receive up to 4 tailor-made, non-binding quotes from our experienced suppliers, free of charge.

The typical VoIP system is able to transmit phone calls into a digital format to the recipient, who receives the call on a traditional phone line. Similarly to IP PBX systems the call runs entirely through the Internet without any connection to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). Usually the main piece of hardware that transmits calls is the VoIP phone, but wireless VoIP makes the connection to the software possible for many other wireless devices such as portable computers, tablets and smartphones. The device looks for the nearest and strongest WiFi access point to connect to and therefore, the strength and coverage of the Internet connection are crucial.

The wireless VoIP phone uses an integrated transceiver to transmit and receive information from the phone to the VoIP software and backwards with the help of WLAN (wireless local area network). By using a wireless VoIP, the user is completely mobile and can bring the phone wherever they go in the office premises as long as they stay in the range of the WiFi hotspot. 

There are currently two main types of wireless VoIP phones and people are leading debated on whichever is the better version. However, no one can really say that one is better than the other since they are very different both in functions and development.

This type of phone uses a WiFi network that everyone uses to connect all types of devices. It is cheaper, easy to install and maintain since there are WiFi hotspots in every office and all that is needed is the actual VoIP phone. However, the WiFi technology is packet based and it is designed to transfer data as a priority, which may cause problems with the audio and transmission of calls. In order for WiFi to work perfectly with voice and audio, it needs to be prioritised in the network. This is called Quality of Service and they haven’t been established regarding WiFi phones because it was primarily created to exchange packet data.

DECT cordless phones are an older telecommunication technology and while WiFi phones search for an available hotspot to connect to, DECT phones have a base station, working as their own private network. It prioritised voice communications and is widely spread among businesses. There is a cost difference between DECT and WiFi phones since DECT has its own infrastructure which needs to be purchased and installed and is usually associated with higher costs but is generally perceived as the most reliable choice.

Although WiFi IP phones can lead to significant money saving, they are a solid investment initially. Depending on the provider, those phones can cost from £60 to £700 each, depending of the features and possibilities and QoS. However, businesses can also look for secondhand WiFi phones which can save them a lot, or use analog telephone adapters (ATA) to transform their regular phone sets into VoIP-friendly ones. Note that the price of the ATA is around £40 each.

Overall, WiFi phones are expected to raise an even bigger interest in the future, when all the limitations have cleared out, so they might turn into the future most commonly used type of sustainable hardware for businesses.

The wireless VoIP phone uses the wireless Internet connection of the office to connect to VoIP software and therefore it should be able to handle the traffic and have enough bandwidth. Since wireless VoIP is rather a new development, many offices aren’t prepared to use it because of the Internet infrastructure. It is important that companies consider the needed capacity for wireless VoIP to run smoothly and alter their current connection to the needed levels. Internet routers that are able to handle wireless VoIP are usually more expensive, but they are the outmost important hardware for the process to run without interruptions.

The main factor when choosing a WiFi phone would be the QoS (Quality of service) protocols. Unlike DECT phones, WiFi connection was primarily used and designed for data transfer and in the case of both data and voice signals, the system will prioritize data by default. This may cause call interruption or lower quality of the call, leading to worse service. If present, QoS makes the WiFi understand that voice data is a top priority and VoIP services will be of better quality. Since WiFi phones are a rather new invention, many of them still don’t have QoS implemented. Some providers like Cisco for example, have a whole series of WiFi IP phones that run under the QoS and eliminate the voice-data priority problem.

WiFi VoIP systems offer even more cost saving opportunities and are suitable with a wider range of technology. The WiFi phone is portable, which can be useful for customer service as employees are able to navigate through departments and offices and be more responsive to customer enquiries as long as the phone has an available WiFi hotspot to connect to. It is also very easy to use as most people nowadays are familiar with WLAN networks and no staff training is needed.

If you also would like to increase your company's communication by investing in WiFi VoIP Phones, please fill in the form at the top of this page and our qualified suppliers will find you the best option. It only takes a minute and you can receive up to 4 tailor-made, non-binding quotes, free of charge.