Choosing the right cordless phone solution is crucial for providing seamless business communications for businesses of any size – a single office, multiple rooms, a campus or locations scattered across a city, state, or nations.
This guide outlines the differences, key features, advantages, and considerations for both Wi-Fi and DECT cordless phones to help you select the best fit for your customers.
What are DECT and Wi-Fi Cordless Phones?
Business cordless phone solutions differ in how they connect and perform:
DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) uses a dedicated, interference-free frequency for voice, providing stable call quality, long range, and predictable performance ideal for professional environments.
Wi-Fi leverages the existing data network, offering flexibility and device convergence but can be impacted by bandwidth sharing, interference, and network congestion.
“As a rule of thumb, DECT phones are best when you need rock-solid voice quality in a smaller, more contained setup, since they use their own dedicated frequency,” said Ed Floyd, Director of Cloud Services, NUSO Network Operations Center. “Wi-Fi cordless phones, on the other hand, ride on your existing wireless network, making them a more flexible and scalable choice as your business grows.”
Wi-Fi Cordless Phones
Wi-Fi cordless phones leverage existing wireless network infrastructure, offering a modern and scalable solution.
Pros
- Enhanced Coverage and Scalability: Wi-Fi cordless phones can operate anywhere within the existing Wi-Fi network's range. This eliminates the need for separate DECT base stations or complex repeater installations, providing seamless coverage across an entire office or building.
- Direct SIP Signaling: Unlike DECT phones, which convert SIP to a proprietary radio signal at the base, Wi-Fi phones maintain SIP signaling all the way to the handset. This creates a more direct and reliable communication path.
- Centralized Management: Wi-Fi phones connect directly to our core and endpoint servers, allowing for centralized management and troubleshooting. This provides visibility into each individual handset, simplifying maintenance and support.
Cons
- Manual Handset Setup: Each handset must be manually connected to the Wi-Fi network during installation. This is a necessary, one-time manual process that can add time to the initial setup.
- Bandwidth Utilization: All calls made on Wi-Fi cordless phones use Wi-Fi network bandwidth. It is essential to account for and plan for this bandwidth usage to avoid performance issues, especially in high-traffic environments.
Key Considerations: Mesh vs. Repeater Networks
For large-scale deployments, the type of Wi-Fi network is a critical factor.
- Mesh Networks are highly recommended. In a mesh network, all access points act as passive signal extenders managed by a central router. This allows a phone to seamlessly roam from one access point to another without changing its IP address, ensuring uninterrupted calls.
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- Older Repeater Networks can cause call interruptions. Each repeater in this type of network functions as a separate router, creating its own IP subnet. As a phone moves from one repeater to another, its IP address changes. This handoff can cause a brief break in audio or, in some cases, a dropped call.
DECT Cordless Phones
DECT phones use a dedicated radio frequency and are ideal for simpler, more contained environments.
Pros
- Proven and Simple Technology: DECT technology has been a reliable standard for over 40 years. For small offices or single-site deployments, a DECT phone system with a single base station and a few handsets is a simple and effective solution.
- No Wi-Fi Dependency: Since DECT phones do not rely on Wi-Fi, they are an excellent option for locations with no Wi-Fi coverage or where Wi-Fi bandwidth is limited.
- Reduced Bandwidth Impact: DECT calls do not use Wi-Fi bandwidth. Calls are hardwired from the base to the IP network. Additionally, internal calls between handsets on the same base are managed by the base itself, providing some negligible savings on overall internet bandwidth.
Cons
- RF Interference: DECT phones are susceptible to radio frequency (RF) interference. Base stations and handsets must be placed a minimum of 65 to 130 feet (20 to 40 meters) apart and away from other RF-producing devices like microwaves or Wi-Fi routers.
- Complexity in Large Deployments: Deploying multiple DECT bases or repeaters can be challenging. Proper placement is essential to avoid dead spots and interference, which can complicate installation and ongoing maintenance.
- Limited Troubleshooting Visibility: Troubleshooting is limited to the DECT base, as it is the only visible endpoint on the network. Issues that occur between the base and the handset are difficult to diagnose remotely.
NUSO Provides Options for Every-Size Business
NUSO hosted phone solutions work with both DECT and Wi-Fi solutions. Selecting the right cordless phone solution—whether DECT or Wi-Fi—can make all the difference in delivering reliable, scalable business communications. By understanding the advantages, limitations, and deployment considerations of each option, you can confidently choose the solution that best supports your business goals.
We encourage you to talk to your NUSO Partner or Account Manager if you're unsure about which solution will work best in your business environment.
Want to explore which solution is right for your organization? Contact NUSO to learn more.
