Most BC small businesses are still on legacy phone systems that were installed years ago and cost more to maintain than they are worth. VoIP in 2026 is mature, reliable, and typically less expensive per line than a legacy PBX. Here is what to look for when evaluating a VoIP platform for your business.
What VoIP Is and Why It Matters
VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol - routes phone calls over your internet connection rather than dedicated copper lines. Modern business VoIP platforms include desktop softphones, mobile apps, call routing, auto-attendant, voicemail-to-email, and call recording in a single subscription.
The cost advantage is real. A traditional on-premises PBX with 10 lines might cost $400 to $600 per month in line costs plus maintenance. A comparable VoIP platform typically runs $20 to $35 per user per month with better features and no hardware to maintain.
Questions to Ask Every VoIP Vendor
What is the uptime SLA and what does the contract say happens when you miss it? What codec do you use and how does call quality hold up on a congested network? Can we port our existing numbers to your platform and how long does that take? Do you have Canadian data centres and can our data stay in Canada?
Ask specifically about E911 compliance in BC. VoIP providers serving Canada must comply with the CRTC's enhanced 911 rules. Confirm your provider is registered and that each device is location-tagged for 911 routing.
Key Features for BC SMBs
Prioritise: local Canadian number availability (Prince George, Vancouver, Calgary area codes), mobile app that works reliably on LTE when office internet is down, Microsoft Teams integration if you are already on M365, and direct inward dial (DID) numbers for key staff.
Auto-attendant with business hours routing matters for any business taking inbound client calls. 'Press 1 for service, press 2 for billing' is a small business credibility signal that costs essentially nothing on modern VoIP platforms.
Internet Requirements
VoIP call quality depends on your internet connection. Each concurrent VoIP call uses approximately 100 kbps of bandwidth. A 10-person office with five concurrent calls needs only 1 Mbps dedicated to voice - that is not your constraint. The constraint is latency and packet loss.
For reliable VoIP, you want under 150ms round-trip latency to your VoIP provider's servers and under 1 percent packet loss. Configure Quality of Service (QoS) on your router to prioritise VoIP traffic over background downloads. North Star can configure this as part of a network engagement.
Leading Options to Evaluate
Microsoft Teams Phone (formerly Business Voice) is the natural choice if you are already on M365. It integrates your phone system directly into Teams, eliminates the need for a separate app, and uses Microsoft's global infrastructure. Operator Connect or Direct Routing with a Canadian PSTN provider gets you local Canadian numbers.
RingCentral, Telus Business Connect, and 8x8 all have Canadian presences and competitive pricing for SMBs. Telus and Rogers have Canadian-built UCaaS platforms worth evaluating if domestic data residency is a priority and Teams is not already in your environment.