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How Much Does a Business Phone System Cost?

The answer is: that depends – on your business size, industry requirements, and specific feature needs. Phone systems range from a simple, cloud-based setup costing a few pounds per month to more advanced, multi-feature systems that can require a substantial investment. So let’s break down the types of phone systems available and help you understand how your business needs can shape their overall cost.


1. Types of Business Phone Systems

The first factor that impacts your cost is the type of phone system that suits your business setup and size. Here are the main types to consider:

  • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol): Often hosted in the cloud, VoIP systems use the internet to place calls. These are highly scalable and typically less expensive than traditional phone lines.
  • PBX (Private Branch Exchange): This is a private telephone network used within a company. It can be hosted either on-premise (hardware-based) or in the cloud (virtual PBX).
  • Hybrid Systems: Hybrid systems combine VoIP and traditional landlines, allowing companies to use a mix of modern and legacy systems.
  • Unified Communications (UC) Systems: For businesses needing more than voice communication, UC systems integrate VoIP, video conferencing, messaging, and more.

2. Costs Based on Business Size and Call Volume

Small Businesses and Startups

For small businesses, an affordable cloud-based VoIP system is usually sufficient. Cloud VoIP solutions typically range from £5 to £20 per user per month, depending on the provider and features required.

Example costs for small businesses:

  • Basic VoIP plan: £5-£10/user per month (includes essential features like call forwarding, voicemail, and local calling).
  • Advanced VoIP plan: £15-£25/user per month (includes more advanced features like call analytics, video conferencing, and mobile apps).

These lower-cost solutions are often perfect for businesses with fewer employees and low call volumes.

Medium-Sized Businesses

Medium-sized businesses may need more robust systems to handle higher call volumes and larger teams. As well as Unified Communications, PBX or hybrid systems become more relevant here, especially if the business relies on multiple phone lines or customer support centres.

Example costs for medium businesses:

  • Cloud PBX systems: £20-£50/user per month (includes call queuing, CRM integration, and remote access).
  • On-premise PBX: Initial setup costs of £500-£1000 per line with monthly maintenance fees of £20-£50 per line.

For these businesses, the upfront investment can be justified by improved call handling, customer experience, and scalability.

Large Enterprises

Enterprises often require complex setups with advanced features, such as call center capabilities, extensive reporting, and integrations with CRM systems. These organisations may opt for complex unified communications setups or advanced VoIP systems that allow seamless communication across large teams and departments.

Example costs for large enterprises:

  • Complex Unified Communications systems: £50-£100+ per user per month equivalent, depending on custom integrations and volume of users.
  • Enterprise-grade PBX (on-premise): £10,000+ in setup costs, plus ongoing maintenance fees.

Enterprise solutions often justify the investment with the benefits of seamless communication across departments, improved call tracking, and sophisticated analytics.

3. Factors That Influence Costs Beyond System Type

Beyond the size of your business, several other factors will influence the cost of a phone system. Here’s a closer look at these variables:

Feature Requirements

Every added feature affects the monthly cost per user. For instance:

  • Call recording: Price affected by call volumes and compliance needs
  • CRM Integration: May add £10-£20 per user per month.
  • Video conferencing: Generally included with UC systems but may add £5-£15 per user with standard VoIP plans.

Hardware Needs

Depending on whether your business needs physical desk phones, headsets, or other devices, hardware costs can range from minimal to significant:

  • Basic VoIP phones: £50-£100 per device.
  • Advanced phones (with touchscreens, conferencing features): £150-£400.
  • Headsets: £20-£100 per headset.

International Calling Requirements

If you operate internationally, it’s important to mention this so you can negotiate optimal tariffs for your common call destinations, otherwise you may be put on a standard rate card and be hit with costs you aren’t expecting.

Maintenance and Support Fees

If you choose an on-premise system, factor in maintenance costs. Service fees generally range from £500 to £2000 annually for on-premise systems. Cloud-based systems, by contrast, include maintenance in their monthly subscription fees.

Customisations and Integrations

If your business needs to integrate the phone system with existing CRM, ERP, or other software, there may be additional costs both monthly and for setup.

4. Conclusion: Finding the Right Balance for Your Business Needs

Business phone systems come with a wide range of options and pricing structures. Costs for a phone system vary based on:

  • Your business size and call volume.
  • The type of system you choose, whether it’s VoIP, PBX, hybrid, or unified communications.
  • Additional features and international calling needs.
  • Hardware and support requirements.

Quick Overview of Estimated Monthly Costs by Business Size:

  • Small business: £5-£25/user
  • Medium business: £20-£50/user
  • Large enterprise: £50-£100+/user

Whether you’re looking for a basic setup or a full suite of communication tools, understanding these factors will help you select the right system at the best value for your unique needs.

So How much does a Business Phone System cost?

The answer is – that depends. That’s why at Deep Blue we take the time to get to know you, your business, your needs and your budget so we can work with you to find the right solution. If you would like to know more, we’d love to hear from you.

Call us on 0333 240 9100 or email theteam@deepbluetelecom.co.uk

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Full Fibre Internet: 4 Key Benefits

If your business is still relying on an outdated copper connection or Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC), you might be wondering if upgrading to full fibre is worth it.

Here are four compelling reasons why making the switch to full fibre could benefit your business:

1. Reliability

A full fibre connection offers far greater reliability compared to connections that still depend on the old copper telephone network. With fibre optic cables running directly from the exchange to your office or home, you avoid the signal loss and interference that can affect copper-based networks.

This increased reliability means that your service will work flawlessly for the vast majority of the time, making it the perfect solution for businesses where staying connected is essential. If you rely on a stable internet connection to keep operations running smoothly, full fibre is a smart choice.

2. Increased Bandwidth

Technology has advanced, and so have business needs. That internet connection that may have been sufficient 10 years ago is likely struggling to keep up with today’s demands.

Modern businesses are constantly uploading and downloading large amounts of data, relying on video calls throughout the workday, and using cloud-based applications for everything from document storage to project management. For a single user or a small team, an FTTC connection may be adequate. But for larger, growing businesses—or those that need the fastest speeds possible—a full fibre connection offers a more powerful, future-proof solution.

3. Enhanced Communications

Full fibre doesn’t just improve your internet browsing speeds—it also enhances your business communications. With the upcoming Switch Off phasing out traditional PSTN and ISDN phone lines, businesses will need to shift to newer solutions for voice communications.

Full fibre provides better quality voice calls and supports a range of advanced features that can elevate your business communications to the next level. If you’re looking to streamline your operations and embrace the future of telecoms, full fibre is the way to go.

4. Future-Proofing Your Business

As the UK moves toward full fibre connectivity, copper-based connections are gradually being phased out. Upgrading to full fibre now not only ensures your business is ready for this transition but also sets you up for success in the years to come.

By adopting full fibre ahead of the switch, your business can avoid disruption when traditional connections are withdrawn and enjoy seamless connectivity right from the start. Investing in full fibre is a step toward future-proofing your business for the digital age.


Ready to Make the Switch?

With the UK transitioning to full fibre connectivity and copper connections becoming obsolete, now is the perfect time to upgrade. Don’t wait until you’re forced to make the switch—get ahead of the curve.

Contact us today at 0333 240 9100 or email theteam@deepbluetelecom.co.uk to find out more about how full fibre can benefit your business.

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Haunting the Airwaves: Guglielmo Marconi and the Spooky Origins of Wireless Communication

In telecommunications, few figures loom larger than Guglielmo Marconi, the man credited with pioneering long-distance radio transmission. Marconi’s work in harnessing the invisible forces of the electromagnetic spectrum was groundbreaking—and, at times, almost supernatural.

Just imagine it: the year is 1901. The wind howls outside a small station on the coast of Cornwall, England, as Marconi and his assistants huddle around their equipment, anxiously awaiting confirmation that they had made the impossible possible—transmitting a radio signal across the vast Atlantic Ocean. As static crackled through their receivers, did Marconi and his team realise just how hauntingly important this moment would be for the future of global communication.

Summoning Signals Across the Abyss

Marconi’s transatlantic experiment was, in many ways, like summoning a ghost. The idea of sending a signal—a voice—without wires across more than 2,000 miles of ocean was as unfathomable to most people in the early 20th century as conjuring spirits. After all, how could something so delicate as a radio wave survive the mysterious, often brutal forces of nature?

On December 12, 1901, with technology that seemed as rudimentary as it was magical, Marconi successfully received the first radio transmission—three simple, yet profound, dots of Morse code representing the letter “S.” The signal had traveled from a station in Poldhu, England, to a receiving station on Signal Hill in Newfoundland, Canada. Like a message from another world, Marconi’s transmission defied the laws of physics as they were understood at the time, setting the stage for a future where communication would no longer be bound by the limits of distance.

The Ghost in the Static

But Marconi’s eerie achievements didn’t stop at the Atlantic. As radio waves propagated through the atmosphere, they became notorious for carrying odd, inexplicable phenomena—strange sounds, distant voices, and the occasional haunting hum. During the early days of radio experimentation, engineers and hobbyists would report ghostly whispers through the static. Some believed these were echoes of long-lost transmissions bouncing off the ionosphere, while others speculated about signals from beyond—either from distant worlds or even the afterlife.

In the late 1920s, Marconi himself would experience one of the most famous of these “hauntings.” He began to hear strange, rhythmic sounds over the airwaves, something not attributed to any known source. Were these the echoes of his own early experiments? Or were they the remnants of some cosmic signal, a voice from the great unknown? To this day, the mystery of Marconi’s unexplained radio signals remains unsolved, a spectral reminder of how little we still understand about the invisible forces he helped unlock.

Marconi’s Legacy: Echoes in Today’s Telecoms

Fast forward to the present, and Marconi’s radio signal—the faint spark that once seemed so otherworldly—has grown into the vast, interconnected web of modern communication that blankets the planet. We carry his legacy in our pockets every day, using smartphones and wireless networks that transmit not just dots and dashes, but entire conversations, videos, and data. The “ghosts” in the static have been replaced by digital noise, but the magic of transmitting invisible signals through the air remains every bit as real.

Marconi’s contributions laid the foundation for everything from Wi-Fi, to satellite communication, to the Internet of Things. .

A Haunting Reminder

This Halloween, as you watch horror films or listen to ghost stories, remember the real-life specter of wireless communication that surrounds us. The next time your phone pings with a notification, or your voice travels through the air on a call, think of Marconi—standing on the shores of Cornwall, listening to the crackle of static, waiting for a signal from across the ocean.

The magic that Marconi unleashed still haunts the modern world of telecommunications, an invisible force that binds us together in ways our ancestors could have only dreamed of. Who knows—perhaps, even now, some of Marconi’s earliest transmissions are still out there, echoing through the ether, waiting to be heard once again.

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Numbers Stations: Haunting the Airwaves

Here’s a slice of telecommunications history that evokes spine-tingling mystery: Numbers Stations—these ghostly radio transmissions have haunted the airwaves for decades. Imagine tuning into an old shortwave radio late at night, only to hear a robotic voice repeating a string of seemingly random numbers, strange tones, and chilling melodies. Who is speaking? What do they want? And who is listening back?

While we may never get definitive answers, the unsettling allure of Numbers Stations remains one of the telecom world’s most enigmatic tales, perfect for the Halloween season.

What Are Numbers Stations?

Numbers Stations are low-tech, mysterious broadcasts that have been detected on shortwave radio frequencies since the height of the Cold War. These stations transmit eerie strings of numbers, sometimes in a robotic voice, sometimes with mechanical tones, and often in various languages. Many also feature music, odd sound patterns, or strange beeps that feel as if they were pulled straight out of a horror movie soundtrack. Yet, despite their creepy, unsettling nature, these broadcasts are believed to have served a highly practical—and highly secret—purpose.

It’s widely speculated that Numbers Stations were used by governments for spy communication, allowing agents in the field to receive coded messages over the airwaves. The randomness of the numbers and their wide geographic reach made them nearly impossible to trace or decode without the proper encryption keys. But unlike the sleek, digital sophistication of today’s encrypted communications, Numbers Stations have always had an analog, almost supernatural aura to them.

To this day, many Numbers Stations remain operational, filling the airwaves with their ghostly presence.

The Haunted Mechanics of Shortwave Radio

There’s something inherently spectral about shortwave radio itself. These frequencies, which bounce off the ionosphere and travel great distances around the globe, carry more than just voices and numbers. They also carry echoes, distortions, and fragments of sounds that sometimes feel like distant, otherworldly signals—much like Marconi’s earliest mysterious transmissions.

What makes Numbers Stations even more chilling is the uncanny timing of their broadcasts. Some stations would come on-air at irregular intervals, while others appeared like clockwork, their signals unwavering no matter what was happening in the world. It’s as though they existed outside the regular flow of time, repeating their mechanical messages with an eerie detachment.

Many of these transmissions have been recorded and shared over the years by amateur radio enthusiasts and paranormal investigators alike. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, the strange robotic voices of Numbers Stations and their indecipherable codes strike an unsettling chord. Even with their mundane purpose rooted in espionage, there’s a timeless, almost paranormal quality to their presence on the airwaves.

The Most Famous Numbers Stations

While hundreds of Numbers Stations have been recorded since the 1950s, some have gained near-legendary status for their sheer spookiness. Let’s take a look at a few of the most infamous.

  1. The Lincolnshire Poacher
    This station is named after the English folk tune that plays before the broadcast of numbers in a clipped British accent. Transmitted from a secret base (widely believed to be a British military facility in Cyprus), the Lincolnshire Poacher was active for over three decades before disappearing in 2008. The bright, cheerful melody only amplifies the unsettling feeling when it cuts out to reveal the cold, mechanical voice reading numbers.
  2. UVB-76 (“The Buzzer”)
    Perhaps the most famous and creepiest of all is UVB-76, also known as “The Buzzer.” First reported in the 1980s, this Russian Numbers Station transmits a constant, monotonous buzzing sound that lasts for hours on end. Occasionally, a male voice interrupts the buzz to read numbers or codes, making listeners feel as though they’re hearing some sort of bizarre ritual unfolding in real-time. Though it has been investigated many times, its purpose remains a mystery.
  3. Swedish Rhapsody
    Another infamous station, the Swedish Rhapsody, used a chilling childlike voice to read its numbers, with an eerie xylophone-like tune playing in the background. The innocent-sounding music and distorted voice created an unnerving atmosphere, like a scene from a horror movie.
  4. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
    This station became iconic after the indie rock band Wilco named an album after its code phrase. Like many Numbers Stations, this one featured a robotic voice, repeating the letters “Yankee,” “Hotel,” and “Foxtrot” endlessly, leaving listeners with an unshakable feeling that they were intercepting a transmission meant for someone—or something—else.

Ghosts of the Airwaves

The spooky reality of Numbers Stations is that, to this day, no one knows exactly who is broadcasting them. While most experts agree they are tools of government espionage, their anonymity fuels endless conspiracy theories. Are they relics of forgotten spy networks? Signals to sleeper agents who have long since vanished? Or could some of these broadcasts come from sources more sinister, perhaps even supernatural?

What makes Numbers Stations so unnerving is how they embody the unknown. In an age of constant connectivity, these signals seem like echoes from a parallel world—one where digital fingerprints don’t exist and where technology hovers on the edge of something ethereal.

Still Haunting the Airwaves Today

Despite advancements in secure, digital communication, Numbers Stations haven’t entirely vanished. Enthusiasts and amateur radio operators still report picking up strange broadcasts that sound just as creepy as ever. Whether for tradition, misdirection, or the continuation of old operations, these stations remain ghostly reminders of the world’s shadowy past—and a haunting presence on our airwaves.

This Halloween, if you’re feeling brave, try tuning into a shortwave radio. You might just hear the monotonous buzz of UVB-76 or the haunting notes of the Lincolnshire Poacher. But be warned: you may find yourself wondering not just who’s sending the signal—but who might be listening, too.

Happy Halloween—and may your airwaves be static-free… unless you’re tuning in for a scare!

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The Haunting Silence of West Virginia’s National Radio Quiet Zone

In a world of constant connectivity, there’s one place where the hum of technology falls eerily silent: the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) in West Virginia. Stretching across 13,000 square miles, this area is like stepping into another world—a world without Wi-Fi, cell towers, or even radio stations. It’s the one place in America where the airwaves are almost entirely clear, protected from the constant barrage of wireless signals that surround us. What might we hear—or not hear—within this bubble of enforced silence?

As Halloween approaches, let’s journey into the world of the West Virginia National Radio Quiet Zone, where the absence of technology allows both mystery and the unknown to creep in.

The Quietest Place in America

The National Radio Quiet Zone was established in 1958 to protect radio astronomy research from the interference of modern telecommunications. At the heart of this silence is the Green Bank Observatory, home to one of the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescopes. The observatory listens to the universe, capturing faint radio waves from distant galaxies, stars, and black holes. To ensure that nothing interferes with these delicate signals, strict regulations were put in place to limit man-made radio frequencies in the surrounding area.

Within the zone, mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, microwaves, and even certain kinds of spark plugs are strictly controlled or outright banned. Residents of the small towns and rural communities within the zone live largely without the conveniences of modern telecommunications. But for those familiar with the area, the quiet carries an almost supernatural weight.

The Ghosts of the Quiet Zone

In a world where we are constantly connected, the idea of being cut off from communication sounds strange, unsettling—even eerie. Some visitors to the NRQZ describe the silence as oppressive, like a thick blanket that muffles not just sound, but reality itself. Without the hum of traffic, the ping of notifications, or the constant background buzz of electrical interference, the Quiet Zone can feel like it’s caught in time—a place where the past lingers just below the surface.

Over the years, the Quiet Zone has become home to strange stories and unsolved mysteries. Residents and visitors alike have reported hearing disembodied voices carried on the wind, the sound of phantom machinery deep in the forests, and the feeling of being watched by unseen forces. In a place where modern technology is silenced, the old-world atmosphere of the Appalachian Mountains begins to creep in. Folk tales of ghostscreatures, and otherworldly visitors seem all the more believable in this pocket of silence.

Could the radio silence in this part of West Virginia create an environment where the paranormal can more easily manifest? Or does the lack of electronic interference simply make us more aware of the mysteries already around us?

Eerie Encounters: The Green Bank Telescope

At the heart of the NRQZ stands the massive Green Bank Telescope, its dish stretching 100 meters in diameter, staring silently into space. While its purpose is to study the farthest reaches of the universe, there’s something undeniably eerie about this silent giant, listening day and night for signals from the cosmos.

Some workers and visitors to the observatory have reported unsettling experiences while working late at night. Shadowy figures seen out of the corner of their eye, unexplained lights in the sky, and the disturbing feeling that they are not alone. In a place so dedicated to listening, it’s easy to imagine that the universe might just be whispering back. But are those whispers from distant stars, or something much closer to home?

The telescope’s sensitivity to radio waves is so extreme that it can pick up signals as faint as a single person breathing next to a cell phone. This makes the silence of the NRQZ all the more unnerving. If someone—or something—was out there, making contact, would we even know how to interpret it?

The “Quiet” That Attracts Noise

Despite its strict rules, the National Radio Quiet Zone has ironically become a magnet for a certain kind of person—those looking to escape the noise of modern life, both literal and metaphorical. The area has drawn people who suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity, a condition where individuals claim to experience physical symptoms from exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), such as those emitted by mobile phones and Wi-Fi routers.

For these individuals, the Quiet Zone represents a safe haven. But others have been drawn to the area for more mysterious reasons. UFO enthusiasts, conspiracy theorists, and paranormal investigators have long speculated that the NRQZ is a perfect hiding place—not just for those escaping technology, but for something else entirely. With its vast, unmonitored forests and its quiet airwaves, the zone has become fertile ground for rumors of alien encounterssecret government experiments, and even cryptid sightings.

Many wonder: if something were trying to make contact with us from beyond the stars, wouldn’t the quiet, undisturbed airwaves of the NRQZ be the perfect place for it to happen? After all, with no cell towers, Wi-Fi signals, or radio stations to interfere, what’s left is a pure signal, ready to be received by those who are listening closely enough.

The Thin Line Between Science and the Supernatural

As we rely more on technology to communicate and connect with the world, places like the National Radio Quiet Zone become even more mysterious and otherworldly. It’s easy to imagine that within the enforced silence of the NRQZ, things that we’ve drowned out with the constant buzz of modern life might start to emerge. Strange sounds, unsettling feelings, and even paranormal events could be waiting for those who dare to explore the region.

But perhaps the eeriest part of the Quiet Zone is the thin line between science and the supernatural. On the surface, the NRQZ is a place dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, where radio astronomers listen to the universe and search for answers to some of life’s biggest questions. Yet, at the same time, it’s a place where the quiet invites the unknown—whether that unknown is alien signals from the depths of space, or something far more familiar yet equally unexplainable.

Would You Dare To Visit?

As the rest of the world fills the air with signals, chatter, and noise, the Quiet Zone remains still—a place where every creak, every rustle, and every whisper can be heard. But be careful what you listen for. In a place where technology is silent, you might find yourself tuning in to something much older, much stranger, and much more unsettling than you ever expected.