If your organization is experiencing poor phone performance that adversely affects communication between employees and with customers, there will be a negative impact on the productivity and efficiency of your business.
Additionally, poor communication with customers will cause damaged relationships, eventually leading to lost customers and revenue.
To avoid these issues, it is important to understand what the PSTN is and how it works to determine whether it is the right solution for your organization to improve phone performance and avoid call breakups and drops.
Coeo understands how important a reliable phone service is and has delivered thousands of phone solutions over the PSTN to organizations to help improve phone performance.
By the end of this article, you will understand what the PSTN is, its features and functionality, and whether using the PSTN for your phone solution will help improve your phone performance.
What is the PSTN?
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is the world’s collection of public telephone networks. The PSTN is composed of all the telephone networks around the world that are operated by local, national, and international carriers.
The PSTN has provided services for public telecommunication for phone networks since the late 1800s.
Traditionally, the PSTN relied on underground copper wires to connect the network and is now almost entirely digital making phone networks more flexible, scalable, and reliable.
What are the features and functionality of the PSTN?
The PSTN includes a variety of features and functionality. Understanding these will help you determine whether the PSTN is a good solution for your organization. The features and functionality of the PSTN include:
Circuit Switching
One of the main features of the PSTN is circuit switching. Circuit switching is a network configuration that establishes a connection between two endpoints by providing a dedicated path between the two points.
The PSTN uses circuit switching to establish a dedicated connection between two or more parties for the duration of a phone call.
This ensures that the bandwidth is only available to the parties on the call to prevent unauthorized users from connecting to the call.
Digital signal transmission
The PSTN traditionally operated using analog signals which converted voice into electric signals.
The PSTN is now operated almost entirely by digital signal transmission which provides better call quality and efficiency, especially for long-distance calling.
Universal connectivity
Since the PSTN is the collection of all public telephone networks and virtually connects these phone lines worldwide, one of the most important features of the PSTN is its global reach and universal connectivity.
This universal connectivity enables seamless connectivity and communication across countries regardless of the technology infrastructure differences between the two endpoints.
Excellent reliability and resiliency
Another important feature of the PSTN is its reliability providing stable and consistent phone service even in rural or remote areas.
Additionally, in most cases, the PSTN is resilient enough to continue working through a power outage enabling users to make and receive calls even when power is out.
Emergency calling
Another important feature of the PSTN is the direct access to emergency response by simply dialing 911 as well as the enhanced location-based routing provided to emergency operators so they can quickly identify the location of the caller in the event of an emergency.
Reliable security
Of course, every service and technology that is connected via the internet needs to have reliable security. Bringing your phone service to the public network can raise security issues. However, the PSTN provides reliable security.
Additionally, using phone security tools such as SBCs will improve the security of your phone solution when it is connected to the PSTN.
Is using the PSTN the right decision for your organization?
Now you understand what the PSTN is and some of its features and functionality. However, it is also important to understand if using the PSTN is the right decision for your organization.
While most modern-day phones are connected via the PSTN, it is important to determine whether an updated phone solution that is connected to the PSTN is the right decision for your organization.
If your organization is dealing with an outdated phone service that is unreliable resulting in call breakups and drops, using the PSTN may be the right solution.
Using the PSTN may also be a good solution if your organization mainly needs local or regional communication capabilities to make and receive calls or if your organization experiences a high volume of calls from customers.
If your organization is looking to future-proof your communication capabilities, using a VoIP phone solution connected to the PSTN may be the right technology to ensure a more modern solution that will last several years.
Finally, if your organization is looking to improve its phone service scalability to support your growing business as well as workers in your remote or hybrid work environment, using a VoIP phone solution connected to the PSTN may be a good choice.
Determining whether the PSTN is the right solution for your organization
Now you understand what the PSTN is, some of the features and functionality of the PSTN, and whether using it is the right solution for your organization. This will help determine whether your organization should invest in a phone solution that uses the PSTN to make and receive calls.
No organization can operate effectively using a poor-performing phone service that results in call breakups and drops.
This will hinder communication between employees and with customers leading to decreased productivity and efficiency and damaging customer relationships.
If you are unable to communicate with customers, you will likely be unable to meet their needs which will lead to lost customers and revenue.
Understanding what the PSTN is, its features, and whether it delivers the right capabilities will help determine if connecting your phone solution to the PSTN will improve the performance of your phone system and increase productivity and efficiency.
Coeo understands how important reliable phone service is and has delivered thousands of phone solutions that connect to the PSTN to organizations to improve phone performance and productivity.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about the PSTN or Coeo’s phone services or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
Now that you understand what the PSTN is, its features and functionality, and whether it is the right choice for your organization to use, read this article to understand what Microsoft Teams Operator Connect is and how it uses the PSTN to provide phone service:
