WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 16, 2018 – With the use of landlines on a sharp decline, businesses face a future without traditional communications systems as soon as 2020. ULTATEL addresses how the change in telecom will impact businesses and how they can rise to embrace modern options.

Thanks to dwindling landline use, experts now predict that traditional telephone systems are about to become a thing of the past. The National Center for Health Statistics recently released a study showing landline phone use has dropped significantly over the past 12 years, with 53.9% of all U.S. households now depending solely on cellphones for their communication needs, up from 15.8% in 2006.⁽¹⁾ AT&T has long planned to phase out landline use by the year 2020, and other service providers are expected to follow their lead.⁽²⁾ These changes will not only impact households, but businesses, as well. “This switch in methods of communication isn’t just about individuals,” says Amr Ibrahim, CEO of ULTATEL and small-business enthusiast. “The extinction of landlines will mean major changes for businesses and entrepreneurs alike.” Ibrahim asserts that business owners must embrace new technology or risk being left behind.

Businesses have revealed that they’re already dropping landline use and opting for more advanced means of communication. In 2010, more than 10 million businesses were using fixed-line phones; however, that number has now fallen to just 6.4 million.⁽³⁾ And the United States isn’t the only nation leaving landlines behind; some European countries boast wireless-only users in 80–90% of their households. The accountant firm PwC has already dropped landlines in 24 of their UK-based offices.⁽³⁾ Some researchers point toward these statistics as evidence that the sharp decline in landline use will continue in the United States, where individuals prefer their wireless devices.⁽¹⁾

While it’s easy to predict that individuals will choose to rely entirely on mobile phones, business owners face security risks if they depend on mobile lines and must instead pursue different communication options.⁽⁴⁾ Cloud-based VoIP systems are being considered the future for both large- and small-scale business communications.

“A cloud-based phone system for small business presents entrepreneurs with the chance to remain in contact with important business associates, implement the newest technology, and save money,” explains Ibrahim.

A VoIP setup for small business works to provide entrepreneurs and small-scale organizations with phone systems that have the newest technology along with the smallest price tag. Businesses that employ cloud-based VoIP systems also report saving between 20–50% on their phone bill every year.⁽⁵⁾ With many cloud-based systems offering “bring your own device” options, remote workers can access the company phone line from anywhere using their own phones and computers.

In a world where methods of communication are ever-changing, small- and large-scale businesses alike must step forward to embrace the newest technology, or risk being left behind in this fast-paced business world.

About ULTATEL

ULTATEL is a leading provider of cloud-based phone system solutions. Through its unified communications platform, companies can have all of their voice, video, fax, SMS and audio conferencing services on one affordable system. ULTATEL Business Clarity, with more than 40 enterprise grade features, helps companies operate from a single location or multiple locations seamlessly using desktop phones, soft phones or mobile apps. ULTATEL’s Contact Center solution satisfies the need for call center features such as advanced interactive voice response (IVR), call queuing, skilled/time-based routing and advanced call analytics. ULTATEL’s vision is to completely change how companies conduct business by delivering the most comprehensive suite of unified cloud-based telephony services that dramatically improve responsiveness, increase productivity, enhance globalization efficiencies, and reduce operating costs so that businesses can most effectively compete both today and in the future. Visit https://www.ULTATEL.com/.Sources

1. Lien, Tracey. “More than Half of U.S. Households Have Ditched Landline Phones.” SFGate, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 June 2018.
2. Hicks, Nolan. “AT&T Preparing to Disconnect Landline Service.” SFGate, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 July 2013.
3. Mailonline, Charlie Bayliss For. “PwC Scraps Landlines in UK Offices with Staff Told to Use Mobiles.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 30 June 2018.
4. Robbins, James. “Six Reasons to Stop Using Your Personal Mobile Line for Business.” MightyCall, 3 May 2018.
5. “Fake News—VoIP Facts You Are Not Getting | Digital Phone.” Carolina Digital, 24 June 2018.