Most BC small businesses are still running phone systems that were installed five to ten years ago and cost more to maintain than they're worth. VoIP in 2026 is mature, reliable, and typically less expensive per line than a legacy PBX, but the market is crowded and the wrong choice creates its own problems. Here's what to evaluate before you commit to a platform.
What VoIP Is and Why the Switch Makes Sense
VoIP, Voice over Internet Protocol, routes calls over your internet connection rather than dedicated copper lines. Modern business VoIP platforms include desktop softphones, mobile apps, auto-attendant, call routing, voicemail-to-email, call recording, and conferencing in a single monthly subscription.
The cost comparison is typically favourable. A traditional on-premises PBX with 10 lines might cost $400 - $600/month in line costs plus ongoing maintenance for hardware that depreciates. A comparable VoIP platform for 10 users runs $20 - $35 per user per month with better features and no hardware refresh cycle. At 20 users, the monthly savings are meaningful and the operational simplicity is significant.
The additional benefit for BC Interior businesses: VoIP works wherever you have internet. If your team evacuates during wildfire season or works remotely, they take their phone number with them via the mobile app.
Canadian E911 Compliance, Ask This First
Before anything else: VoIP providers serving Canada must comply with the CRTC's enhanced 911 regulations. Confirm the following with every vendor you evaluate:
- Is the provider registered with the CRTC as a VoIP E911 service provider? Ask directly.
- How is each user's E911 location registered? Fixed users at a permanent address are straightforward. Remote workers with mobile apps need a process for keeping their location current.
- What happens when a remote worker dials 911? The call must route to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the caller's location, not for your head office address.
- Is the E911 service tested and documented?
Non-compliant E911 is a legal liability and a genuine safety risk. This is not a box-ticking exercise.
Questions to Ask Every VoIP Vendor
Uptime and reliability:
- What is your uptime SLA? What is the credit if you miss it?
- Do you have Canadian data centres? Where specifically?
- What is your redundancy model, what happens if your primary datacentre goes offline?
Call quality:
- What codec do you use for calls? (G.711 for high quality; G.729 for bandwidth efficiency)
- How does call quality hold up on a congested network? (Ask for QoS configuration guidance.)
- Do you have a quality monitoring dashboard for your account?
Number porting:
- Can we port our existing numbers? All of them, including local Prince George numbers?
- What is the typical porting timeline, and what causes ports to fail?
- Is there a port-out fee if we leave the platform?
Data residency:
- Does call data (recordings, voicemail transcriptions) stay in Canada?
- What is your data retention period for call recordings?
- Can we export recordings in standard audio formats?
Key Features for BC SMBs
Prioritise these when comparing platforms:
- Local number availability: Confirmed access to Prince George (250), Fort St. John, Smithers, and relevant area codes
- Mobile app reliability: The app needs to work on LTE and on sketchy rural cellular, test it, don't assume
- Auto-attendant (IVR): Configurable by non-technical staff without a support ticket
- Voicemail-to-email: Voicemail delivered as an audio file to email
- Call recording: Per-user or per-line, with configurable retention
- Microsoft Teams integration: If you're on M365, direct routing or Teams Phone integration may reduce per-user cost and consolidate your communication platform
Internet Requirements for VoIP
VoIP requires adequate internet bandwidth and, critically, adequate Quality of Service (QoS) configuration:
- Bandwidth: Each concurrent call uses approximately 80 - 100 Kbps with standard codecs. For 10 simultaneous calls, you need approximately 1 Mbps of upload bandwidth dedicated to voice. Most business internet connections easily support this.
- Latency: One-way latency should be below 150ms for acceptable call quality. Above 200ms, you'll notice the delay.
- Jitter: Should be below 30ms. Jitter causes choppy audio. A jitter buffer in the VoIP system compensates for moderate jitter.
- Packet loss: Should be below 1%. Even 2 - 3% packet loss noticeably degrades voice quality.
- QoS: Your network equipment must be configured to prioritise voice traffic over bulk data traffic (downloads, video streaming, large file transfers). Without QoS, a large file transfer can degrade active calls. Your IT provider or MSP should configure this as part of the VoIP deployment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we keep our existing phone numbers? Yes, through number porting. This is a standard process, but it requires coordinating with both your current and new provider. Porting typically takes 7 - 10 business days and should be scheduled well before you shut down the old system.
What happens to our VoIP if the internet goes down? Calls fail if your internet is down, that's the inherent tradeoff. Mitigations: failover routing to mobile numbers, dual ISP connections with automatic failover (relevant for businesses where phone availability is critical), and cellular LTE backup routers for single-ISP sites.
Talk to a Prince George-based IT team about VoIP deployment for your business, call 672-983-1174 or book a free assessment at northstarit.ca.
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