This is the most common objection South African businesses raise about VoIP, and it is a fair one. A traditional corded landline draws power from the exchange; VoIP does not. But the problem is smaller and cheaper to solve than most people assume — it just needs planning rather than hoping.
A VoIP call needs three things powered: the fibre ONT or LTE router, the Wi-Fi router (often the same box), and the device you talk on. That is it. There is no exchange-powered path to keep alive.
Notice what is not on that list: your desktop PC, the office switch, and everything else. If the only goal is to keep the phone working, you are powering a couple of small, low-draw devices — not the office.
We have deliberately not quoted UPS prices — they vary too much by capacity and retailer for a figure here to be honest. Size it against your router's power draw, which is printed on the adapter.
Putting the phone system on backup power but not the internet connection. If the router is dark, a powered desk phone is useless. Power the connection first, the handset second.
The second mistake is assuming fibre stays up. Your ONT may be powered at your premises while equipment further upstream is not. This is exactly why a mobile-data fallback matters — it does not depend on the same infrastructure.
Worth stating the other side. A landline is tied to one building — if that building loses power, or you cannot get to it, the line is unreachable. A VoIP number is not tied to a location at all.
During an outage your number can ring a mobile in someone's pocket, in another suburb, on a different power grid. That is a form of continuity a copper line at a fixed address cannot offer.
From R250/month · No contract · Active within 1 business day
See VoIP Plans →