What’s A Phone Line

This may seem like a simple thing to define to some, the reality is much different. To try and break this down I’m going to present three options. Now, although NRM provides service in Ontario and Saskatchewan as well as my home province of Manitoba, I’m going to talk briefly regarding the three major services available in MB. Most if not all of this information will translate to anywhere, at least in Canada.

MTS (Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.)

At the time of this article there is only one option from MTS. A phone line provided over a pair of copper wires.
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If you need 20 phone lines,MTS would install 40 fine strands of copper to provide the service. Once those lines are installed in your building, the lines can be connected to your phones in a myriad of ways.

Many people believe MTS is the most reliable service provider as they are currently the only provider that is regulated by the CRTC. Additionally, the copper wire phone line does not require any power from the customers side to operate. So, there is no length of outage that could cause you to lose connection. I’ve talked to countless people that have held on to MTS believing it’s the safe thing to do in case of a natural disaster. The problem is, if you have a phone system or office phones that require power, you’re still out of luck in a power outage without an uninterruptable power supply (UPS). Finally, there are good odds everyone in your office has a cell phone so communication can still continue even if the phone lines are out.

Shaw communication

Shaw phone service works over a coax cable, the old cable that used to screw on to the back of your TV and VCR.
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Despite my reference to old tech, the coax cable network is very capable and powerful. The Shaw system is essentially a blended system. It takes the best of a cable companies advanced wide area network to run a VoIP service (more on VoIP in the next section).

Voip Phone Line

Both the golden goose and the bane of many technical support reps.
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By far VoIP offers the best option for saving money however the double edge sword is that it can be the most problematic. For all intents and purpose, VoIP is a phone line and will work for the customer just like any other phone line. However, the voice signal is sent over the internet is a similar fashion as your email or web browsing, thou with enhanced security.

The big problem arises when a customer knows basic networking and decides to make a change to local area network (the network that reside inside your building). This can cause the voice data to start slowing down, like a web page loading, or just drop off completely.

A quick digression:

One of the best analogies I’ve heard for describing the flow of data is your home plumbing. If you’ve never experience the joy of suddenly losing all the cold water from your shower when someone flushes a toilet, i assure you, you haven’t lived! Kidding aside, the same problems can exist for an internet based phone system. Without control and understanding during the initial setup. Your co-worker could start downloading a large video file and end your call by not leaving enough room for the phone data to travel.

There are solutions. I’m not going to get into them here. This is going to take a blog to itself.

The good news is, we know how to configure a VoIP system so you don’t have to.

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