How to Evaluate Call Quality When Choosing a VoIP System

Learn how to assess VoIP call quality with practical tips and tools tailored for Australian businesses. Understand the key metrics, common issues, and what to ask providers before signing up.

When you’re switching to a VoIP phone system, one of the first concerns is call quality. Dropped calls, lag, and robotic voices can frustrate customers and disrupt your team’s workflow. But how do you actually measure call quality before committing to a provider?
In this article, we’ll break down the key factors that affect VoIP call quality, how to test it properly, and what Australian businesses should look out for when choosing a VoIP system.

Table of Contents

1. What Is VoIP Call Quality?
   
2. Key Metrics That Define Good Call Quality
3. Common Factors That Impact VoIP Performance
4. How to Test VoIP Call Quality (Before You Commit)
5. Questions to Ask Your VoIP Provider
6. VoIP Call Quality Tips for Australian Businesses

1. What Is VoIP Call Quality?
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) call quality refers to how clear, reliable, and consistent voice communication is when using a cloud phone system. Unlike traditional landlines that use copper wires, VoIP depends on your internet connection. This introduces more variables—both good and bad.
A high-quality VoIP system should deliver audio that’s crystal clear, free of delays or echoes, and stable throughout the call.

2. Key Metrics That Define Good Call Quality
When evaluating VoIP performance, don’t rely on guesswork. These are the technical metrics that matter most:
Latency
This is the delay between when a speaker talks and the listener hears it. Ideal latency is under 150 milliseconds. Any higher and you may experience awkward pauses or people talking over each other.

Jitter
Jitter measures the variation in packet arrival times. High jitter leads to choppy audio. Keep it below 30 milliseconds for smooth voice transmission.

Packet Loss
VoIP sends audio as digital data packets. If some are lost in transit, parts of the conversation may be missing. Aim for less than 1% packet loss.

MOS (Mean Opinion Score)
This is a scale from 1 to 5 that rates perceived call quality. A score above 4 is generally considered excellent.
Most VoIP providers can give you access to these stats, or you can measure them with free tools like VoIP Spear or PingPlotter.

3. Common Factors That Impact VoIP Performance
VoIP systems don’t exist in a vacuum. Here’s what can affect call quality in a real-world business setting:

Internet Speed You need a stable internet connection with enough bandwidth. A good rule of thumb is 100 kbps (both upload and download) per simultaneous VoIP call.

Network Congestion If your office Wi-Fi is overloaded with video streaming, downloads, or large file transfers, VoIP calls can suffer. A separate VLAN for voice traffic can help.

Hardware Outdated routers, cheap headsets, or poorly configured firewalls can all degrade quality. Always use business-grade networking gear.

Geographic Location For Australian businesses, long-distance routing to overseas servers can introduce latency. Make sure your provider uses local data centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or Perth.

4. How to Test VoIP Call Quality (Before You Commit)
Don’t just take a provider’s word for it—test it yourself. Here’s how:

Step 1: Use a VoIP Speed Test 
Before installing any system, run a VoIP-specific speed test. This checks latency, jitter, and packet loss under simulated call conditions.

Step 2: Request a Trial or Demo
Most reputable VoIP providers will offer a free trial or test line. Make calls to multiple numbers at different times of the day and assess the clarity.

Step 3: Check Local Performance
If your team is distributed across Australia, test from various locations (e.g. Sydney office vs. Perth warehouse) to confirm consistent quality.

Step 4: Ask for Live Call Monitoring Tools
Some providers offer dashboards to view call stats in real time. This gives you full visibility into how your system is performing day-to-day.

5. Questions to Ask Your VoIP Provider
Before you lock in a VoIP provider, ask them the following:

• Do you use Australian-based servers?
• What is your average uptime and call quality score (MOS)?
• Can I prioritise voice traffic on my network?
• What kind of hardware or setup do you recommend?
• Is there 24/7 support if something goes wrong?

These questions help you weed out low-cost providers that might compromise on quality.

6. VoIP Call Quality Tips for Australian Businesses
Whether you're a law firm in Sydney or a retail chain in Brisbane, here are some practical tips to maintain top-tier VoIP call quality:

• Use wired connections where possible. Wi-Fi can be inconsistent.
• Set up Quality of Service (QoS) on your router to prioritise voice traffic.
• Work with a provider that offers SLAs (Service Level Agreements) for guaranteed performance.
• Choose providers that integrate well with platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or your CRM.
• Opt for regular call quality reports to spot issues before they affect your clients.

Conclusion
VoIP call quality can make or break your communication system. By understanding the key metrics, testing properly, and asking the right questions, your business can avoid poor audio and deliver a professional experience every time.
If you’re ready to upgrade your phone system, contact us today to discuss VoIP solutions tailored to your Australian business needs.