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Business Phone Service in Athens, WI
It is beneficial for a business in Athens, WI to choose the right telephone service provider. You have to conduct thorough research and evaluation of the options you have before settling for the one that best suits your needs. After all, many people use telephone services for communicating with their business colleagues. Therefore, having the best mode of phone service is vital to the success of business. You have to make sure that you always go with the right service type and provider. The two primary business phone services in Athens, WI are: traditional analog telephone service and a VoIP service. It is critical that you understand the difference between these two phone services before making your final decision. You can compare the best small business phone services below.
| Provider | Plan Details | Monthly Rate* | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
RATED #1 BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS
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$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 Phone Service
* 12% discount for subscribing and paying for a year upfront |
$19.97*
|
Details
13 Reviews |
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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 |
What is Athens, WI Business VoIP Phone Service?
An alternative to traditional landline service, VoIP has become increasingly popular with new businesses as well as older companies that switch after realizing how VoIP can increase productivity and reduce operating costs. Although the technology is over ten years old now, it initially suffered from poor call quality due to limits in broadband technology. That issue is no longer a concern due to the widespread deployment of superior broadband networks, and adaptation of VoIP is expanding rapidly. VoIP now offers the same call quality as analog phone service while providing more features at a better price. VoIP works by sending voice calls over the internet rather than through traditional analog telephone lines, so it is important that you have a fast and reliable business internet connection available. To see if your internet connection in Athens, WI will support VoIP service, use the MyRatePlan internet speed test.
PSTN refers to traditional landline service, where voice calls sent through analog lines are routed through switches to other telephones. VoIP works differently, by turning voice calls into packets of data and transferring them over high-speed broadband lines. Transmitting voice calls over the internet costs less since analog lines are archaic and require constant maintenance, while broadband lines are already in use to provide internet service and the network is continually expanding and improving. Since PSTN service infrastructure is more expensive to maintain than broadband, analog telephone providers must charge for services and features that are often free with a VoIP plan. VoIP customers typically spend much less on features such as long distance than PSTN users and are not charged by the minute.
VoIP service providers offer plans tailored to businesses of all sizes and provide essential features like voicemail and call waiting, as well as advanced productivity features including automated line attendants and remote access. Whether your business needs a few lines or you need several thousand, VoIP providers in Athens, WI can meet your requirements and help to increase the efficiency and profitability of your business.
How to Choose the Best Business VoIP Service Provider in Athens, WI
Most business VoIP providers in Athens, WI offer plans designed to accommodate businesses of all sizes. You could have a small company with only five lines, or a large corporation that uses thousands of extensions for multiple departments. There is a VoIP service that meets your business needs.
Still, having more than one provider from which to choose requires knowing how to choose what is best. The first thing you want to do is determine the type of telephone service your business needs. Answering questions such as the number of phone lines required and features used during the normal course of business are relevant to finding the best phone service provider.
If you plan to expand, you want a system that is scalable, whether you are adding a new location or increasing needs at your current one. Of course, you want to determine how much you can afford and whether you are receiving an introductory rate that expires in 6-12 months.
Next, you can use MyRatePlan to look at different offers from business VoIP providers in Athens, WI. Compare their services, prices and reputation for serving businesses in the area. Getting a good deal is great, but having a consistently working phone system is crucial to your business' success. A low rate is not good enough if the company does not have a positive track record for excellent customer service and being reliable.
What is Traditional Business Phone Service in Athens, WI?
A traditional phone service, calls are transferred over a public switched telephone network or PSTN system. The PSTN is available all over the country and is a network of phone lines, satellites, cables, and mobile networks. At over 100 years old, PSTN is the oldest type of phone network.
This large and old infrastructure is expensive to support. This is why using traditional phones is so much more expensive than VoIP in Athens, WI. The network requires regular maintenance and is analog, meaning it is inefficient when it comes to transferring long distance messages.
The reasons long distance transmissions take so long is that they make several stops along the way. These stops occur at various locations owned by different phone companies. Although some of the equipment at these locations digitizes the information so it can be sent faster, the final stretch to the central switch is still analog, making the overall transmission time longer than what you'd get with VoIP.
PBX With Analog Phone Systems in Athens, WI
Most businesses in Athens, WI will be using a PBX, which is known as a private branch exchange. The PBX effectively routes calls through their office. When a business phone service is used, the PBX is what allows businesses to use several different call features. Some common available features are voicemail, call forwarding, conference calls and extensions.
When used with a traditional PSTN phone system, the PBX can be located in a remote location or near the user. Regardless of where the PBX is located, the system comes with a major drawback, which is the significant cost. To set up a complete business phone system that uses a PBX, many different hardware components are needed, and a significant initial investment is needed to get started. In most cases, this system can cost at least $1,000 for the initial components, and it will require ongoing maintenance, configuration and installation.
For business owners in Athens, WI who're planning to use a traditional PBX for their business phone service, it can cost a lot of money to expand or upgrade the system. Many of the newest PBX systems can only support a very limited number of lines, and if a business grows quickly, the PBX won't be able to provide the additional extensions needed to operate efficiently. The cost of adding new hardware to keep up with business growth can be too much for many business owners.
It's also important to remember that a PBX is like any other electronic hardware, and over time, it will suffer problems and begin to malfunction. The cost to repair problems with the PBX can be expensive, and depending on uncontrollable circumstances, a PBX might even become obsolete.
Find Business Phone Service Providers in
ZIP Codes in Athens, WI
- 54411