As we discussed in previous posts, for years corporate telephony has had to incorporate new functionalities to adapt to market needs, which is why the natural evolution of the TDM world was towards IP.
The old and reliable PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) with its analogue lines, ISDN BRI, E1 or T1, is on its way out. Telephony is moving from the PSTN to the much more modern and flexible SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) trunks.
A few years ago, all communications were carried out using circuit switches in the public telephone network and also within the company. This was no longer efficient with the growth of data networks, the incorporation of smart devices and the need to integrate applications into telephony.
The big telecom providers are rapidly disabling the old PSTN functionality and migrating customers to IP. And therefore a SIP trunk and a PBX upgrade will be inevitable in the near future. In order to use the SIP Trunk service, your company needs an IP telephone exchange (IP PBX).
Verizon has stopped offering basic ISDN services to its customers in the United States. In the United Kingdom, ISDN lines have dropped to 3 million from 4.7 million lines in 2007 and the trend is accelerating. For this year, 2017, major telephone operators such as BT, KPN, France Telecom, Deutsche Telecom and Telecom Italia will no longer offer ISDN lines.
As a result, the demand for services SIP trunks increased by 62% in 2015 compared to the previous year.
This guide explains what SIP trunks are, their benefits, and how to migrate.
Calls within the NGN network
SIP trunks enable end-to-end IP calling, where business communications can be dynamic, efficient, and virtually seamless.
SIP trunks are fully compatible with the PSTN network. Incoming and outgoing calls can be established seamlessly with this network.
What are SIP trunks?
SIP trunks are telephone lines that operate over IP using the SIP protocol. Using this standard protocol, telecommunication service providers (VoIP) connect one or more channels to the customer's PBX. Telephone numbers and DIDs are linked to the SIP trunk.
Benefits of SIP Trunks
Making voice calls over IP based on SIP standards for signaling and RTP for media, provides greater communication flexibility for businesses, enabling new multimedia service possibilities and many benefits. SIP trunks will deliver:
Lower monthly rent for lines and DID
The monthly cost of having a number of lines installed in your office is significantly reduced with SIP trunks. Similarly, DIDs cost much less (in most cases).
Voice quality
Excellent voice quality on calls.
Best Customer Service
Provide better service to your customers by adding more geographic and international numbers. Simply adding numbers to your SIP trunk and directing them to your IP PBX will give your customers more options to call you, at a significantly lower cost. Reduce barriers to contact and increase sales.
Branches easily connected
For customers with multiple branches, it is possible to design a solution where only the central site has a connection to the telephone network and the rest of the branches can take lines from this site.
Move your offices and keep the same number
SIP trunks are not tied to a physical location, so it is very easy to move offices without having to change your stationery or inform your clients of new numbers. You don't need to bother and pay the operator to redirect phone calls.
Eliminate costly gateways and interfaces
Customers with IP PBX do not need to have Gateways to connect to the PSTN network.
All phone calls come via IP, which translates into better communication quality by avoiding extra audio conversion.
The client does not need to incorporate expensive interfaces (eg: E1 card).
Flexibility
Greater flexibility in setting the number of simultaneous calls, unlike E1s, which have a fixed number of channels. The number of simultaneous SIP Trunk sessions can be increased without the need for any additional installation at the customer's site or installing another service. Keep in mind that for analogue telephones, a copper pair needs to be installed for each line, and for digital telephony, another E1 needs to be installed.
Correct number of channels
The SIP Trunk can be made independent of the access medium by which the customer site is reached. This allows the company to provide the number of voice channels it needs choosing the most suitable access technology for each case. With SIP trunks you can easily choose the right number of channels you need, whereas with ISDN/T1 you often had to choose to add 15 or 30 lines. This usually means that ends up with expensive, unnecessary extra capacity.
It's very easy to add more channels to your SIP trunk to handle increased call volumes. A simple phone call will allow you to add channels, and often this can be done instantly. Compare that to having to hire additional lines to be installed in your office, and then having to upgrade your old PBX to handle more lines!
Easy Maintenance
Maintenance is easier compared to conventional telephone systems because the model is simpler.
Take advantage of a modern IP PBX
Modern IP PBX / Unified Communications Solutions give businesses increased productivity, mobility and better results. Connecting an IP PBX to a SIP trunk is much easier than through the PSTN.
To take into account
- SecurityIt is very important that the SIP trunk and IP-PBX have a well-secured network and have an anti-fraud system in place. The anti-fraud system should monitor the system and provide protection against fraudulent calls.
- Own network: Does the SIP trunk provider have their own network or is it a rebrand of a third-party service? There are a few providers reselling SIP trunks from other providers. Select a provider that has control over the service and the network.
- Competitive Costs: Costs can vary widely from service to service. Some providers will charge more for SIP trunks. Shop around for competitive rates, but make sure you're getting business-grade SIP trunk services.
- Number Portability: Can the provider port your phone numbers? Make sure you choose a provider that can port all your existing numbers – not all providers can do this in all regions.
Upgrading your PBX to an IP PBX
Chances are that the old PSTN lines are connected to another old device, the telephone exchange. This device is inflexible, unwieldy and often expensive. It is technically possible to buy a gateway that allows the old PBX to talk to the SIP trunk. But why not upgrade to a modern IP PBX and take advantage of the flexibility and modern features that IP telephony can bring you. There are many reasons to do so, ranging from cost savings and productivity gains along with the large-scale Unified Communications functionalities that an IP PBX offers. You can choose between a hosted PBX, a dedicated server or a virtual machine to install your PBX on.
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In search of advice to hire a SIP Trunk for your company?
Talk to an expert.
In SimpleTECH We can help you, we have the specialized knowledge necessary for the change process to develop completely smoothly and without problems, please contact us.
We are the only Spanish-speaking 3CX Platinum and Support Partner in Latin America.
By: The team of SimpleTECH©
Montevideo, Uruguay
Sources:
Our engineers' own knowledge
https://www.3cx.es/voip-sip/troncal-sip/
