VoIP Phone Service Built for Growing Teams

What is VoIP phone service?

VoIP phone service is a phone system where calls are converted into data packets and sent over the internet, instead of being carried on a dedicated copper circuit from the telephone company. Extensions, voicemail, call routing and auto attendants all run as software, configured from a browser rather than wired into a physical switch.

For a business, the practical shift is less about the underlying technology and more about how changes get made. Adding a new hire as an extension, updating a holiday greeting, or changing who a department rings is a configuration change that takes effect immediately — not a truck roll or a wiring change.

What do you need to run it?

You need a reliable internet connection and either a SIP-compatible desk phone, a softphone app on a computer or mobile device, or both. The infrastructure that used to sit in a utility closet moves to the provider's data centers.

Bandwidth needs are smaller than most people expect. On the Opus codec, Salamtalk uses roughly 50 kbps per concurrent call — a 10-person office with 5 people on calls at once needs on the order of 250 kbps of dedicated capacity, well within what a basic business internet plan provides. What actually determines call quality is latency and jitter, not raw bandwidth. Salamtalk targets sub-15ms latency on its network, but jitter — the variation in how long packets take to arrive — is what produces the choppy, garbled audio people associate with "bad VoIP," even on connections with plenty of bandwidth to spare. A quality-of-service (QoS) configuration that prioritizes voice traffic on your router matters more than upgrading your internet speed tier.

How does it compare to a traditional landline?

A traditional landline is a physical circuit with fixed capacity tied to the telephone company's local switch. VoIP decouples the phone number from any specific wire, which changes what is possible and what you're now responsible for.

	Traditional landline	VoIP phone service
Call capacity	Fixed by physical lines installed	Adjustable as a configuration change
Dependency	Telephone company's copper network	Your internet connection and the provider's network
Adding features	Often a separate contract or hardware	Usually included in the plan
Multi-location	Separate system per site	One system across offices and remote staff
Power/internet outage	Often keeps working (loop current)	Depends on internet and, for desk phones, power

That last row deserves honesty: a traditional analog line can sometimes keep ringing during a power outage because the phone company's own loop current powers the handset. A VoIP phone, whether a desk phone or a softphone, needs power and an internet connection to work at all. If that matters for your business, plan a mobile-forwarding failover rather than assuming it is automatically covered.

Can we keep our existing numbers?

Yes, in almost every case. Number porting is free, but the timeline and process are controlled by your current, or "losing," carrier — not by Salamtalk. US local numbers typically port in 2-4 weeks, and your existing line stays active and able to receive calls until the port actually completes, so there is no gap in service.

If you need numbers in new markets rather than just moving existing ones, numbers are available in 100+ countries, including 93 US area codes, so you can establish a local presence in a city before you have staff physically there. See local phone numbers for the full list.

How much does it cost?

Salamtalk's plans run $15, $25 and $40 per user per month, with a 14-day free trial so you can test real call flows before paying anything. The entry tier covers core calling, voicemail and an auto attendant well; higher tiers add deeper call handling, recording and integrations.

The more useful comparison usually isn't against a competitor's sticker price — it's against what you're currently spending across a legacy PBX maintenance contract, per-line telco fees and the staff time spent managing both. See pricing for the full tier breakdown, or compare providers on compare.

Frequently asked questions