21 Must-Know VoIP Statistics for Businesses in 2024

Here at Techopedia, we’ve seen more and more businesses choose Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems. These enable your business to make calls over the Internet and access a wide range of digital calling features.

We know that despite the benefits of VoIP, you may be hesitant to make changes to your business phone system. If you’re on the fence, understanding some of the statistics around this technology can help. Here are 21 VoIP statistics every business owner should know.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Stats
2. 21 Must-Know VoIP Statistics for Businesses
3. Conclusion
4. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Stats
2. 21 Must-Know VoIP Statistics for Businesses
3. Conclusion
Show Full Guide
4. References

21 Must-Know VoIP Statistics for Businesses

We break down 21 VoIP statistics to showcase how widespread this technology is, how much it costs, and how it’s being used.

VoIP Usage Statistics

Who uses VoIP? Where are these people or businesses based? Here are key usage statistics to know in 2024.

1. Business VoIP Usage Jumped Seven-Fold from 2010 to 2018

There were over 41.6 million business VoIP lines in the US alone in 2018 (the last year for which data is available). That’s a nearly sevenfold increase from 2010 when there were only around 6.2 million.

2. Residential VoIP Usage More Than Doubled in the Past Decade

From 2010 to 2018, the number of residential VoIP lines jumped from 28 million to 76.6 million. That’s a fast pace of growth, though it significantly lags the growth in business VoIP use.

3. 31% of VoIP Users Are in North America

31.2% of VoIP users (both business and residential) are in North America. Today, the North American VoIP market alone is worth in excess of $20bn.

4. South Asia is the Second-Largest Region for VoIP Use

South Asia is home to 12.9% of all VoIP lines in the world, putting it second behind North America.

Globally, internet connectivity is growing fastest in places that have long lacked telecommunications infrastructure, such as Africa and South America. In the future, these regions could be home to the lion’s share of VoIP lines.

5. The VoIP Market Will Grow to $55bn by 2025

The global VoIP industry is expected to be worth up to a whopping $55bn by 2025.

6. SMBs Are Driving the Most Growth

Small- and medium-sized businesses are expected to grow their share of the overall VoIP market (15%) by 2025.

7. 87% of Startups Use or Plan to Use VoIP

On a global scale, 63% of startups use VoIP phones to communicate. Another 24% say they’re planning to switch to a VoIP phone system. In contrast, only 13% of startups say they plan to stick with a traditional landline phone system for their business.

8. Most Businesses Rely on Phones to Communicate

Over 90% of businesses rely on their phone systems as a main communication tool. More than half use phone calls to make sales, while 43.6% prefer phone calls to provide customer service.

9. Businesses of All Sizes Rely on Their Phone Systems

Business phone usage doesn’t vary much based on how big or small a company is. 58% of businesses with fewer than 99 employees said that phone calling is their most important method of communication. 54.5% of businesses with 10,000+ employees said the same.

10. 3/4 Employees Use Mobile VoIP Apps Daily

74% of employees report using VoIP apps on their mobile devices to make business calls every day. Employees can’t make calls from a smartphone using a landline phone number.

VoIP Cost Savings Statistics

The cost savings associated with VoIP are one of the key considerations when weighing up the pros and cons of using VoIP. Here are key statistics that prove it’s a wise investment.

11. VoIP Phone Systems Can Save $20 to $30 Per Month

We compared the prices of popular VoIP and landline phone systems to estimate how much businesses can save by switching to VoIP. While every business situation is unique, we calculate that VoIP systems save around $20 to $30 per month.

That doesn’t account for installation and setup costs, which are typically higher for landline phone systems. So, your business could save even more by choosing VoIP.

12. Businesses Can Slash International Calling Rates by 90%

We also looked at rates for international calls across VoIP and landline providers. The difference was massive, with some VoIP services charging up to 90% less per minute.

What’s also noteworthy is that with a VoIP phone system for international calls, businesses can purchase international phone numbers. This can further reduce calling costs by allowing overseas calls to be made at domestic rates.

13. VoIP Costs Could Decline By up to 5% Per Year

VoIP could be even more affordable for businesses in the future. Consolidation in the industry and improved technology are forecast to steadily bring down the price of VoIP phone service at a rate of 3% to 5% per year.

14. VoIP-Enabled Collaboration Can Save $1,700 Per Month

Businesses can save $1,700 per month in avoided travel costs when using a VoIP system. This is because many VoIP systems offer seamless phone and video conferencing, eliminating the need for employees to meet in person.

15. VoIP Can Reduce Conferencing Expenses by 30%

Using a VoIP system reduced total conference-related expenses by 30% across dozens of surveyed businesses, enabling significant savings for organizations with multiple locations that typically pay for employees to travel between offices.

VoIP Productivity Statistics

The benefits of VoIP extend far and wide, here are statistics that highlight how business productivity can be boosted.

16. 76% of Employees Have Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangements

35% of employees who can work remotely do so all the time. Another 41% have hybrid work schedules, spending some or most of their time working from home.

For these employees, VoIP phone systems are a lifeline, as they can make business calls from their computer or mobile device even when they’re not at the office. If these businesses used landlines, employees wouldn’t be able to place calls while working remotely.

17. VoIP Saves Employees 32 Calling Minutes Per Day

VoIP phone systems save employees an average of 32 minutes spent on the phone each day. That’s 32 minutes they can spend working on other tasks, increasing their overall productivity.

Time savings are thanks to some of the unique features of VoIP phone systems. For example, employees are easier to reach if they can be called on their mobile devices—so colleagues are more likely to reach them on the first call instead of playing phone tag.

VoIP phone systems can also automate routine tasks, like transcribing conversations.

18. Audio Problems Hold Back Over 50% of Meetings

The biggest complaint employees have about online meetings isn’t that there are too many of them. Rather, the number one issue survey participants reported is poor audio quality.

Over 50% said choppy or jittery audio makes meetings less productive. However, VoIP phones can fix this since you can host meeting audio using your phone system and get crystal-clear communication.

19. Find Me/Follow Me is the Most Popular VoIP Feature

77% of employees say they use the find me/follow me feature frequently, making it the most popular VoIP feature.

Find me/follow me enables you to automatically route calls to a specific device, such as a mobile phone. It’s commonly used when employees are working outside the office.

20. 65% of Employees Use VoIP Conference Calling

The second-most popular VoIP feature is conference calling, which over 65% of employees report using. And 58% of employees report using their VoIP mobile app to make business calls on their smartphones.

21. 95% of Customer Interactions Could be AI-Powered by 2025

By 2025, 95% of all customer interactions could involve artificial intelligence (AI). This has big implications since digital phone systems can incorporate AI while traditional landline phones can’t.

Low-tech forms of AI are already prevalent in VoIP phone systems. For example, many let you add a virtual receptionist to route calls or automatically transcribe your conversations and voicemails.

Future AI-enabled features could help your employees be even more productive and deliver better customer experiences.

Conclusion

VoIP phone systems have rapidly grown in popularity thanks to the cost savings they offer businesses and the productivity features they provide employees.

Our guide to the best VoIP providers for small businesses can help you make the switch to VoIP today. If you’re still unsure about whether VoIP is right for you, check out our guide to VoIP vs landline phone systems.