Traditional Telephony System: What It Is and How Does It Work?

Have you ever wondered how phone systems worked before the Internet became widespread?

Understanding Traditional Telephone Systems may be a throwback, but businesses that support legacy infrastructures need to know this. 

In this blog, we’ll explore what a traditional telephony system is, how it works, its advantages, and disadvantages, traditional telephony systems vs VoIP,  and Many more. 

Ready for a journey into the world of circuit-switched networks, copper wires, and landlines? 

Let’s get started!!!

What is a Traditional Telephony System?

Traditional telephony system means a phone system using an analog signal and depending on physical lines to send voice communications. These systems are based on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which uses an analog phone system over copper wires to carry voice signals.

You may also like: Cloud-Based Call Centers vs. Traditional Call Centers: Key Differences

How Does a Traditional Telephony System Work?

Traditional telephony systems depend on the circuit-switched network for each call, and a particular circuit is established. It makes clear and continuous conversation between the caller and the receiver. Let’s go over in detail each step of the procedure:

1. Dialing the Number

The process starts when a user lifts the handset and dials any number. It sends an electrical signal through telephone line services or simply copper phone lines. 

The lines further carry voice communications over physical wires because they support the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

2. Telecom Switches

The signal travels the network and encounters telecom switches. Like traffic controllers, the switches determine which route would be most efficient for the signal’s path to the destination. 

Several switches are involved in routing a call, mainly for long-distance conversations. The central office positions switch to manage connections between lines.

3. Connecting the Call

The signal goes through a number of switches to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) or directly to the PSTN to the destination phone. The PBX is very important to businesses since it connects calls coming from the outside and sorts out the internal phone lines.

PSTN handles landlines the proper connection between the two parties.

4. Voice Transmission

The conversation starts right with the call’s connection. In a traditional telephony system, the voice transmits in analog waves. This is called an analog transmission because your voice waves are converted into electrical impulses and transmitted along a dedicated circuit. 

The circuit remains open for as long as your conversation lasts because the call is switched through a circuit-switched network that ensures smooth communication.

5. Ending the Call

When the call comes to an end, then the circuits shut down after the receiver hangs up. In that circuit will close, and the physical switches and the lines begin to take the next calls.

What are the ?

With the advancement of modern communications technologies, the traditional telephone system still holds quite a number of advantages. From small businesses to large businesses, these systems have important features that are still usable in today’s digital market. 

Here are some main advantages of traditional phone service:

1. Stability and Reliability

One great advantage of traditional telephone systems is that they are stable and reliable. They are copper line-based and built on landline telephones, which have been tried and tested for years. 

Unlike modern IP-based systems, which are highly dependent on an Internet connection, traditional phone systems are never affected by Internet outages, bandwidth problems, or weak signal strengths. This makes them reliable, especially in regions where power and internet outages are frequent. 

Copper lines running ensure that calling can still be made during harsh weather, disasters, or congestion in the network. Continuity is very important to businesses and people who need a consistent communication system with no ups and downs in service.

2. Wide Availability

Another big advantage is that traditional telephones are conveniently accessible. Many decades ago, traditional phone lines were installed to reach areas quite far from the center, rural areas, and those with poor internet access. 

In places where modern systems like fiber optics and fast internet are still not available, traditional phones are still operable, and they are most able to do for communication.

Because of this, traditional phone service is ideal for companies or groups of people that operate in locations where newer technologies are accessible or less reliable. 

In most cases, no matter where you live, a bustling metropolis or some secluded hamlet-conventional phone lines are usually only a connection away.

3. Secure Communication

Traditional telephony systems come with a higher level of security for voice communication. If we consider it against the VoIP system, the usual phone system maintains a closed-circuit network, which makes it vulnerable to hacking cyberattacks.

It would make it far more difficult for any unauthorized party to intercept the data or voice signals since they would be traveling along on physical copper lines set aside for that particular call. This can be of great worth in industries dealing with sensitive data, like finance or healthcare. 

While digital systems gain better encryption and security features, traditional phone systems continue to provide a physical layer of protection that is unparalleled with IP-based technologies.

What are the Disadvantages of Traditional Telephony Systems?

While traditional phone systems have a number of benefits, they also come with some major drawbacks that make them even less affordable and useful. These are some of the limitations that businesses and people should know in order to find better ways of communication:

1. High Costs

One of the biggest disadvantages of maintaining a legacy telephone system is the very high upkeep costs. Traditional telephone systems require a physical infrastructure.

Copper phone lines often need periodic maintenance and the occasional repair. The costs for repair grow with age when you factor in the specialized skills required to maintain outdated machinery. 

Apart from such maintenance costs, the businesses have to bear only the costs of the telephone lines, which include the per-month charges that accumulate over time, service charges, and charges for each line.

2. Limited Features

Another major drawback is that this is inflexible and has a capacity lacking in features when it comes to traditional telephone systems. Traditional phone solutions could only offer voice services when compared to the other recent solutions.

VoIP is prevailing in the market and boasts many advanced communication features. However, their inability to use advanced communication tools also extends to file sharing, instant messaging, video conferencing, or even mobile integration. 

Having all of these tools at their fingertips can help the team work together in a fast-paced environment to develop better customer service.

3. Scalability Issues

One issue that must be dealt with is scalability. Traditional systems can easily become infeasible for a business that’s on the road to growth or one that needs to scale its communication infrastructure. 

Installation of a PBX system and extra physical copper lines is also necessary. Apart from the time taken for physical installation and configuration, such lines require a huge amount of investment, which may delay the growing business needs.

Also Read: Cloud-Based Call Centers vs. Traditional Call Centers: Key Differences

Traditional Telephony Systems VS VoIP

Here’s a simplified comparison between VoIP vs Traditional Telephony with five key sections:

Final Words

Though Traditional Telephony Systems have their place in history and still serve specific needs, modern communication VoIP provides service to telephones but with more features, scalability, and lower costs. 

When deciding the system to choose, it’s very essential to look over the pros and cons to see which is suitable for your business or for the personal needs.

FAQs

1. What is the traditional telephone system an example of?

The traditional telephone system is an analog phone system that transmits the signal through copper lines over the PSTN.

2. What is an example of a telephony?

A landline telephone that uses PSTN is an example of telephony, a system in which voice communication occurs over a distance.

3. How does VoIP differ from traditional phone service?

VoIP sends voice over the Internet, while traditional phone services send voice over copper lines via a circuit-switched network, such as PSTN.

4. Can I move my VoIP phone anywhere?

Yes, you can move your VoIP phone anywhere and continue to make and receive calls, making sure you have access to the internet.

5. Can I use a traditional phone for VoIP?

Yes, you may use a traditional phone to do VoIP with an adapter, which will convert the analog signal into a digital one.