NBN PHONE SYSTEM CASE STUDY

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

NBN PHONE SYSTEM CASE STUDY

ABC talent agency were operating using 5 phone lines in a Line Hunt Group and a standard set of cordless phones. Costs per month for Phone lines and Internet was just under $300 plus calls. There was no capacity to transfer calls within the office, no music on hold, no after hours messaging...no smarts on the system at all.

They rented a new office in a building that was NBN ready. After contacting Telaustralia, we completed a brief scoping exercise to determine their phone system requirements. We supplied a new NBN Phone system with 4 Handsets and a 25/5mb NBN connection with 50Gb of data. The cost of the new system was $1200 inc Gst. Monthly costs without calls was now going to be $134 and with significantly lower call rates.

However the biggest benefit for the customer was gaining access to the full range of Phone System features including, 

• Uploading their own customized on hold Music and Messages
• Access to after Hrs Messaging
• Ability to transfer calls within the office
• Voicemail to email
• Line Hunt and the ability to put calls on hold

In addition they have access to an incredibly fast Internet connection now after years of putting up with an incredibly poor ADSL connection. On their 25/5mb NBN Internet connection they are getting constant download speeds of 24.3mb+ and upload speeds of 4.9mb and things don't slow down each afternoon when the kids in their area get home and start to heavily use the internet.

There are many business we come across that could cut costs and significantly improve efficeny by making changes to the way the operate their Phone System.

WILL THE NBN INTERNET PLANS BE MORE EXPENSIVE?

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

WILL I PAY MORE ON THE NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK?

Many pundits are making claims that the National Broadband Network ...the NBN is more expensive than the current ADSL networks, typically run over Telstra Copper. One thing is for certain it will be significantly faster, but will the customer have to fork our more each month for their internet access? We think not and here's why.

At the moment most customers, about 90+% of the population that want to have an ADSL connection have to have a Phone Line to run it over. And this adds about $30 a month to a residential bill and about $40 a month to a Business bill, whether they want  the phone line or not. If you want a fast Internet connection, most locations in Australia are forced to have a Phone line to get ADSL.

Here's a short comparison using the Telaustralia Internet and Phone bundles for comparison.

ADSL 2 delivers typical speeds of just under 10mbps, we will compare price on the 50, 100 and 250Gb plans. While around 10Mb is the average speed achieved in real life on ADSL 2, the range of speeds is between 20Mbps and 4Mbps depending on how far you are from the exchange and a host of other factors that effect ADSL speeds over copper. Maximum upload speed is 1Mb but similarly the typical upload speed is nearly half the theoretical maximum.

With NBN over Fibre to the Premises (FTP), you will get nearly 100% of your advertised speed, so if you buy a 50Mbps plan you will get very closer to that speed ... currently on new NBN connections, speeds of within 5-10% of the advertised speeds are being achieved very consistently.

Currently, for comparison purposes, a 50Gb bundle on ADSL 2 is $89 a month, a 100Gb bundle is $99 and a 250Gb Bundle is $109.

The NBN will have 4 different speeds so its worth comparing all.

12Mb Download speed with 1Mb upload speed and 50Gb $60 a month, 100Gb $70 and 400Gb (no 250gb plans) would be $80 a month....so on average around $30 a month cheaper and with guaranteed speeds.

25Mb Download speed with 5Mb upload speed and 50Gb $65 a month, 100Gb $75 and 400Gb (no 250gb plans) would be $90 a month....so on average around $20-25 a month cheaper and with guaranteed speeds around double the typical ADSL connection.

50Mb Download speed with 20Mb upload speed and 50Gb $75 a month, 100Gb $85 and 400Gb (no 250gb plans) would be $100 a month....so on average around $10-15 a month cheaper and with guaranteed speeds around 5 times faster than current speeds.

100Mb Download speed with 40Mb upload speed and 50Gb $80 a month, 100Gb $90 and 400Gb (no 250gb plans) would be $105 a month....so on average around $10 a month cheaper and with speeds far in excess of current ADSL speeds...around 10 times faster and with a higher data allowance on higher end plans.

Ok but what if you want a phone plan? A average VoIP connection is $10 a month with very low rate calls so even when the access for the Phone is added in at worst your costs will be around the same and you will be getting a Super Fast Internet Connection.

THE NBN Will be cheaper for most users. The answer to the questions is , no ....you will not pay more using the NBN.

NBN PHONE SYSTEM COSTS?

Saturday, June 01, 2013

NBN PHONE SYSTEMS - WHAT WILL THEY COST?

NBN Phone systems costs will vary based on the number of handsets and channels required to connect them. The basic NBN Modem will come with 4 ports so that will give capacity for you of up to 4 handsets. If more than 4 handsets are required a Cisco POE (Power Over Ethernet) switch will need to be added to the system. Switches come in units with 8 and 24 Ethernet ports. As power is delivered over the POE switch ports via a Ethernet cable, Power Packs are not required for the Handsets.

So for an indicative calculator to price your  NBN phone system hardware

Each System will need 1 X NBN Capable Modem at approx $200

Each Handset will be approx $250,  so multiply the number of handsets required x $250

If more than 4 Handset are required you will need to add a switch in... 8 Port  $500 or 24 Port $850

So when we add things together for example a 6 Handset NBN Phone System would be as follows ...

Modem X 1 ($200)

6 x handsets ($1500)

1 X 8 Port Switch $500) = Total $2200 inc Gst.

A 4 Handset NBN Phone System would not need the 8 Port POE Switch so it would be...

Modem X 1 ($200)

4 X Handsets ($1000)  = TOTAL $1200 Inc GST. 

NAKED NBN PLANS

Friday, May 31, 2013

CAN I GET A NAKED NBN PLAN? YES YOU CAN!

Most of the current offers surrounding the NBN forces the customer to take a Bundled Phone Plan with their NBN Internet service. The major retailers, Telstra in particular, don't offer Naked NBN Plans for good reason. They want to tie up all of the customers services and preserve that revenue currently delivered via the copper network. While a stand alone or unbundled NBN service is not really a "Naked" service in the truest sense, because most NBN services are bundled with Voice Plans, unbundled NBN services are being referred to as Naked.

For many consumers having a Bundled service means being forced into a contract and plan they don't want with included services they don't need. Many customers don't want a Phone line. Like a naked DSL customer, they don't use a landline or choose to have their own VoIP provider separate to their Internet  provider.

It appears that very few of the major retailers are providing Naked NBN Plans and due to this Telaustralia will be offering its NBN Phone Plans and NBN Internet services as unbundled services.

This means you could for example take our NBN Phone Plans like our Hosted PBX or our SIP Trunks and run them over another carriers NBN service. After all the NBN services are in most cases going to be the same. Equally you could take the Telaustralia Naked NBN plans and run another carriers VoIP over that giving you the freedom to choose your Phone Call Provider.

NBN PHONE LINES

Thursday, May 30, 2013

HOW DO I CONNECT MY EXISTING PHONE SYSTEM TO THE NBN?

With the roll out of the National Broadband Network continuing many Small Business Owners will be wondering how they connect their current Phone Systems to the NBN and keep their phone numbers.

There will be several options to connect multiple lines to the NBN. (remembering they wont really be lines any more, they will be like ISDN and be called channels as there wont be physical lines).

CAN I USE MY PHONE SYSTEM ON THE NBN?

If you have an existing Phone System you will need to contact your supplier and establish if the system is IP or VoIP compatible. They should be able to advise you over the phone but if the original Phone System supplier is not available then a site visit may be required to assess your system.

If it is immediately compatible you may need to pay licensing fees to have the system opened up to suit IP telephony.

If the Phone System is not IP compatible, then the supplier will establish with you if the Phone System can accept adapters to the input Ports, that will allow it to connect over the NBN. Adapters will connect to your Phone System and allow you to run calls over what is essentially a VoIP connection.

If Option 1 and 2 are not feasible then the Small Business Owner will need to consider buying a new phone system and Hosted Voice NBN Phone systems are the the most suitable and typically the most affordable solutions.

CAN I KEEP MY PHONE NUMBERS ON THE NBN?

In short the answer is yes! The numbers will need to be ported off the Telstra copper and onto the NBN Phone service providers platform. The good news is that you only really need to move your advertised numbers. If you have a Inbound 1300/800 number all the better as no number portability will be needed. Porting can take up to 4 weeks so careful timing is needed to ensure you are not with out service for any extended period. Most carriers are charging around $100 per number for porting so there is no real point in porting all of your numbers unless absolutely vital you do so.

The other advantage with moving your numbers will mean portability. If you need to the Phone System ... eg to another suburb at the end of your lease, you wont need to arrange to get numbers diverted or redirected...the numbers will come with you to the new premises. You can even take a NBN Phone handset with you to another country and make calls (as long as you have a decent internet connection) as if you were still in the office.

Heres a Video on the NBN for Business which provides more detail.

If you need more info on the NBN roll out CLICK here.

NBN PHONE SYSTEMS

Monday, May 27, 2013

What Phone System will I need on the NBN?

As the rollout of the NBN continues, we are getting lots of queries from customers about what type of the phone system they need for the NBN.

The answer is either a Hosted PBX system that is compatible and supported over the NBN or modify your current phone system (if possible) to run SIP trunks over the NBN.

A NBN Phone system will give you a lot of flexibility and portability that you cant get with the current copper network.

By setting up a Hosted PBX when or before the NBN arrives in your area, you can future proof your business and provide greater flexibility and portability. In addition many providers are only providing single call options with their NBN Plans. A Hosted Voice System configured as a NBN PBX System can allow for any number of simultaneous calls.

The main features of a NBN phone system will be 

• The numbers sit on the phone system so as long as there is an adequate internet connection the phones can be taken anywhere and used.
• Its incredibly easy and fast to add in handsets and additional numbers. Scale up and down as needed. Add handsets and channels in for a sales campaign and deactivate them when the sales are finished.
• Hundreds of easy to use features - Line Hunt, Voice mail, Fax to email, 3 way calling, conferencing, remote access, Multi ring are just some of the features available.
• Low call rates including free inter office calls. in fact you can hand over calls anywhere in the world as if the receiver is sitting in the office next to you.
• Plug and Play handsets - No technician required.

CLICK HERE and watch short videos demonstrating our NBN Phone Systems ease of use.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR AVAILABLE NBN PHONE SYSTEMS AND NBN PHONE PLANS

WHAT IS ISDN 2

Friday, May 17, 2013

What are ISDN 2 Phone lines?

Our customers are still asking for ISDN 2 phone lins despite the overall trend away from Fixed wire services. Fir business Nothing beats the reliability of ISDN 2 Phone lines. Many business still connect ISDN 2 services. Formerly known as OnRamp 2, ISDN 2 business phone lines transforms your existing analogue telephone line into two digital connections. ISDN2 features are; Two telephone numbers on the one ISDN 2 phone service. With ISDN 2 there are two digital channels capable of transferring both voice and data at bandwidth rates of 2 x 64kbps or 128kbps when 2 lines are combined. Only one service line is required for telephones, faxes or computers allowing you to use the other line to work remotely in the field or at home or can be used for a 2nd voice line. An ISDN2 service must be connected to an ISDN compatible PABX system at the customers premises. With ISDN 2 you can access a 100 Number Direct Indial (DID) range so even if you only have 2 lines you can have 100 numbers. A full explanation of the range of features available on an ISDN 2 service is located here.

What is an ISDN2 Enhanced Line?

ISDN2 enhanced services are identical to standard ISDN2 services but are supplied with an integrated network termination device and router. Since this hardware is more expensive to supply, the monthly line rental is a few dollars higher than standard ISDN2.

The integrated unit supplied currently is the Open Networks NT1 plus II . This unit allows the customer to connect multiple computers on a small LAN to the ISDN service to leverage the ISDN investment. The NT1 plus II also allows customers to "bond" the two channels together for 128kbps internet access when no phone lines are in use. Although these units require mains power they have the ability to keep the main phone line active during a mains power failure.

Why Use ISDN2 Phone Lines?

ISDN 2 Phone lines are Digital business phones lines delivering clearer and faster phone calls.
ISDN 2 are a scaleable service in that you can add an additional set of lines in increments of 2 lines at a time. eg start with 2 lines and add in 2/4/6/or 8 ISDN2 services as required.
ISDN 2 gives you the availability of a 100 Number Direct in Dial range. Even if you only have 1 or 2 ISDN 2 services you can have 100 phone numbers or more. ISDN 2 is ideally suited to small to medium business that require crisp clear digital communication lines in conjunction with a PABX phone system. ISDN 2 Business phone lines have access to all the great business phone line features you need including Line Hunt & Caller ID.
For more than 10 channels you will require and ISDN 10/20/30 service.

A full explanation of the range of features available on an ISDN 2 service is located here.

How do I connect to ISDN2 Phone Service?
As ISDN is digital, there is no need for a modem. However, a customer will need a terminal adapter to receive the ISDN service. A terminal adaptor enables the communication from the user's terminal to the network and serves as an interface between the ISDN BRI line and the customers equipment.

Terminal adaptors are sometimes referred to as Network Termination (NT) devices or ISDN modems/routers, although this latter term is slightly misleading.

The terminal adapter is provided by the ISDN service provider.

To connect the customer's local area network (LAN) to an ISDN2 service the customer will require a separate ISDN router or (as is more common) a terminal adaptor with a modem / router built in.

Customer wishing to connect a LAN to an ISDN2 service should choose the ISDN2 enhanced service.

A full explanation of the range of features available on an ISDN 2 service is located here.

UNLIMITED BUSINESS INTERNET BUNDLES

Thursday, May 16, 2013

UNLIMITED ADSL 2 BUSINESS INTERNET BUNDLE

Our Unlimited ADSL 2 bundle is proving very popular with business customers.

Unlimited ADSL 2 Internet on Telstra network, Unlimited Up Loads and Down Loads, Free Static IP address, Free Line rental, Free local calls and Free National calls and local calls un timed at 60c for the first 10 minutes and then 30c per min after that.

We also have a Massive 1TB Residential ADSL 2 Bundle with 1 Terra Byte of downloads, unlimited uploads, Free Line rental, Free local calls and Free National calls and local calls un timed at 60c for the first 10 minutes and then 30c per min after that.

For  the winter months right through to the end of August 2013 we are offering free ADSL connection or churn and a free Netcomm NB604N modem on a 24mth agreement.

Call us on 1300783528 or submit a web inquiry.

PHONE SYSTEMS MELBOURNE SYDNEY AND AUSTRALIA WIDE

Monday, May 06, 2013

Announcing that Telaustralia have now added Avaya Phone system to their list of PBX suppliers. So customers that that call us will typically get 3 very competitive phone system quotes from the one phone call to us.

SHDSL MELBOURNE SYDNEY BRISBANE ADELAIDE PERTH

Monday, May 06, 2013

SHDSL INTERNET PLAN OFFER 10MB/10MB UNLIMITED $359 WITH FREE INSTALLATION

We have a winter special on SHDSL to warm to heart of any IT Manager. 10/10mb SHDSL with Free Installation on a 24mth agreement on the AAPT network for $359 inc Gst Per Month and includes free installation for orders taken May, June and July 2013.

See details here at our SHDSL Broadband page http://telaustralia.com.au/internet/shdsl-business-internet