One of the most common questions from businesses evaluating VoIP is about internet requirements. Will their existing connection work? What speed do they need? What if call quality isn't good? Here are clear, honest answers.
Bandwidth Requirements Per Call
VoIP calls use approximately 80–100 Kbps of bandwidth per simultaneous call (upstream and downstream). That's the amount of data being sent and received during an active call using standard G.711 codec. With compression codecs like G.729, that drops to about 30–40 Kbps per call — though audio quality is slightly reduced at lower bitrates.
Practical examples:
- 25 Mbps internet connection → can support 250+ simultaneous calls with bandwidth to spare
- 10 Mbps symmetric connection → 100+ simultaneous calls
- 5 Mbps symmetric connection → 50+ simultaneous calls
For most small businesses, bandwidth is not the issue. A 25 Mbps connection can easily support 20–30 simultaneous calls and all of the regular internet traffic of a small team.
Latency and Jitter: The More Important Metrics
For VoIP quality, latency (delay) and jitter (variation in packet arrival timing) matter more than raw bandwidth. Target values:
- Latency (round-trip): under 150ms is ideal; 150–300ms is acceptable; above 300ms causes noticeable delay
- Jitter: under 30ms is ideal; jitter above 50ms causes choppy audio
- Packet loss: under 1% — even 2–3% packet loss causes noticeable audio degradation
You can test your connection's suitability for VoIP using free tools like ping tests and specific VoIP quality tests available online.
Quality of Service (QoS): The Solution to Call Quality Issues
If your internet connection is shared among general business traffic — large file downloads, video streaming, cloud backup uploads — voice packets can get delayed behind data packets, causing choppy calls. This isn't a bandwidth problem; it's a prioritization problem.
Quality of Service (QoS) is a router/firewall configuration that prioritizes voice traffic over other data types. When properly configured, voice packets always get through even when the pipe is otherwise congested. Most business-grade routers support QoS configuration.
If you're not comfortable configuring QoS yourself, Broadtela's managed internet service includes QoS configuration as part of the service — your voice traffic is always prioritized from day one.
Wireless vs. Wired for VoIP
Wired ethernet connections (for desk phones or computers running softphones) provide the most reliable VoIP experience. Wi-Fi introduces additional jitter and occasional packet loss depending on interference levels. For businesses using Wi-Fi for VoIP calls, a quality business-grade access point with proper placement significantly improves reliability. For high-call-volume environments, wired connections are strongly recommended.
When to Consider a Managed Internet Circuit
If you're regularly making 15+ simultaneous calls, have had consistent call quality issues on your current internet connection, or run a call center, a dedicated managed internet circuit with guaranteed symmetric bandwidth and pre-configured QoS is worth considering. Broadtela provides managed internet services to businesses in SC, GA, and CO — the circuit is provisioned specifically for voice quality optimization, not just raw bandwidth.