Do I Still Need a Landline for My Business?

The short answer to 'do I need a landline for my business?' is no. You do not need a copper landline. The copper network has been progressively switched off across Australia since 2025, and any new phone service sold today runs over the internet anyway. But that does not mean your personal mobile is enough. This article explains what 'landline' actually means in 2026, why most businesses still need a dedicated number, and what the modern replacement looks like -- including what it costs.

Why Your Personal Mobile Is Not Enough

Most small business owners start out using their personal mobile as their business number. It works in the beginning. But it creates problems that get worse as your business grows:

It looks unprofessional. When a potential customer rings a mobile number, they cannot tell if they are calling a business or a personal contact. A geographic landline number or 1300 number signals 'this is a business'. A mobile number signals 'this might be a person's personal phone'.

There is no separation. Your business calls, personal calls, and everything in between all go to the same device and the same number. You cannot hand the number to a staff member to cover when you are busy. You cannot turn off business calls after hours. You cannot see which calls are business calls without checking your recents one by one.

There is no after-hours control. When your business is closed, callers get your personal voicemail -- if you have one set up at all. There is no professional after-hours message, no indication of your business hours, no option to direct them to your website or email. A missed call at 7pm either interrupts your evening or goes unacknowledged until you notice it.

There is no call routing. If you hire someone to cover reception while you are on a job, you cannot route calls to them. If you want calls answered by different people depending on time of day, you cannot do that. If you want a 'press 1 for quotes, press 2 for existing customers' menu, you cannot do that. Your personal mobile does exactly one thing: ring your phone.

What happens when you hire someone? If your business number is your personal mobile, every time a customer has been dealing with you and you hire someone to take over, there is a problem. The number follows you, not the business. A dedicated business number stays with the business regardless of who is answering it.

What 'Landline' Actually Means in 2026

Here is the thing most people do not realise: if you signed up for a 'landline' phone service with your internet provider when you got NBN, you probably already have VoIP -- whether you know it or not.

The old copper landline network (called the PSTN -- Public Switched Telephone Network) has been switched off across most of Australia. Telstra completed the shutdown progressively from 2022, and it has been fully wound down since 2025. There is no new copper service available. Every phone service sold today runs over the internet.

What your ISP calls a 'landline' is almost certainly a VoIP service delivered via an ATA adapter -- a small device that converts the digital signal to the analog plug your old phone uses. Your ISP controls the service. You plug in your existing handset. It feels like a landline. But it is VoIP.

The problem with the ISP-provided ATA setup is that it is the bare minimum. You get a number, you get dial tone, you get basic voicemail. You do not get ring groups, after-hours routing, call recording, a dashboard to manage your settings, or the ability to add more users easily. And if you switch ISPs, you often lose the number or have to fight to keep it.

The modern replacement -- a cloud business phone system -- gives you the same 'landline' number (including local geographic numbers like 02 and 03) but with a full feature set, proper management tools, and no dependency on any single ISP. For a full explanation of what the copper shutdown means for your business, see PSTN Shutdown Australia.

The Modern Replacement: A Cloud Business Number

A cloud business number gives you a dedicated business phone number that works on your mobile, your laptop, or a desk phone -- wherever you are, however you work. It is built on VoIP (calls over the internet) but you do not need to understand the technology to use it.

Here is what it looks like in practice:

• You sign up with a business phone provider online
• You choose a local geographic number (02, 03, 07, etc.) or a 1300 number
• You download an app on your mobile and/or laptop
• Calls to your business number ring on your app -- or on a desk phone if you have one
• You set up a professional voicemail greeting and after-hours message
• When you call customers, your business number shows on their phone -- not your personal mobile

The key difference from the ISP ATA setup: you own the service relationship. You can add users, change your settings, port your number to another provider if you want, and access your call records without needing to call your ISP and wait on hold.

For businesses with multiple staff, a cloud phone system adds ring groups (all phones ring when a call comes in), call transfers, hold music, and IVR menus. For a sole trader, a simple virtual number app is enough. See VoIP vs Traditional Phone Australia for a detailed comparison, or Best VoIP Phone System for Small Business Australia for a full review of the available options.

What It Costs -- Often Less Than a Telstra Landline Was

A basic virtual business number costs $5-15/month including GST. A cloud phone system for a small team costs $25-50 per seat per month including GST. Compare that to what a Telstra business landline used to cost -- often $50-80/month for the line rental alone, before calls. The modern equivalent is cheaper, more capable, and works anywhere you have an internet connection.

Use the VoIP Cost Calculator to estimate your specific monthly cost based on your team size and call volume. Most businesses switching from an old landline service find the monthly saving is significant.

How to Keep Your Existing Landline Number

If your business has been using a landline number for years and your customers know it, you do not have to give it up. The process of transferring a phone number from one provider to another is called number porting, and it is your legal right in Australia -- ACMA regulations require providers to release your number when you request a port.

What the process looks like:

1. Sign up with your new cloud phone provider and request a port of your existing number
2. Provide your current provider's account details (account number, address on the account)
3. The port takes 5-10 business days for landline numbers in Australia
4. Keep your old service active until the port completes -- cancelling early can cause the number to be released
5. Once the port completes, your existing number works on your new cloud phone system

Mobile numbers typically port faster (1-3 business days). Geographic landline numbers take longer because they involve more parties in the transfer process. For a detailed walkthrough and common reasons ports get rejected, see Number Porting Australia. If you are migrating from a landline service specifically, Migrate Landline to VoIP Australia covers the full process step by step.

What Most Businesses Get Wrong

Three things trip up businesses when they are thinking through this decision:

Mistake 1 -- Confusing 'landline' with 'dedicated business number'. You do not need a copper landline. But you probably do need a number that is not your personal mobile. These are two different things. The copper network is gone. A dedicated business number -- on a cloud platform -- is still absolutely worth having.

Mistake 2 -- Assuming VoIP means poor call quality. Ten years ago, VoIP had a reputation for choppy calls and dropouts. On modern NBN connections, that problem is largely gone. A fibre NBN connection with adequate upload speed delivers call quality indistinguishable from a traditional landline. The main risk area is fixed wireless or satellite NBN in regional areas -- if that is your connection type, it is worth checking your bandwidth before committing to a VoIP-only setup. Use the VoIP Bandwidth Calculator to check.

Mistake 3 -- Waiting until there is a 'problem' to switch. The time to set up a dedicated business number is before you start handing out contact details to customers -- not after you have 200 clients saved under your personal mobile number. Once customers have your personal mobile, they will continue to use it even if you get a business number. Starting with a clean separation is much easier than trying to migrate later.

Your Next Steps

A quick checklist based on your situation:

• Sole trader or micro business: Get a virtual business number with a mobile app. Takes a few hours. Costs $5-15/month. Set up your voicemail greeting and after-hours message before you hand the number to anyone.
• Small office with 2+ staff: Get a cloud phone system. This gives you ring groups, call transfers, and proper call routing. Do not start with individual mobile numbers -- you will regret it when you try to set up proper call routing later.
• Have an existing landline number: Keep it. Request a number port to your new cloud phone provider. Keep your old service active until the port completes (5-10 business days).
• Still on an ISP ATA setup: Check if your number can be ported. In most cases it can. Switch to a dedicated cloud phone provider to get proper features and control over your number.

Is a VoIP number the same as a landline number?

For all practical purposes, yes. A VoIP business number can be a standard Australian geographic number (02, 03, 07, etc.) that looks and behaves exactly like a traditional landline number to callers. The difference is in the underlying technology -- calls travel over the internet rather than the old copper network. The caller cannot tell the difference. You get the same number format, the same reliability (on a good internet connection), and the same ability to port the number if you want to change providers.

What happens to my phone if the power goes out?

A VoIP phone system depends on your internet connection, which depends on your modem, which needs power. If the power goes out, your VoIP phones stop working -- unlike the old copper landline, which drew power from the phone exchange and kept working during outages. The practical fix: set up a mobile failover number in your cloud phone system settings. When your internet is unreachable, incoming calls automatically forward to a mobile. It takes 5 minutes to configure and means callers can still reach someone even when your office has no power.

Can I call 000 from a VoIP phone?

Yes -- all licensed Australian phone providers, including VoIP providers, are required to provide 000 access. However, VoIP phones do not automatically transmit your precise physical address to emergency services the way a traditional copper landline did. You need to register your address with your provider so they can pass it to emergency services when you call 000. This is a mandatory setup step that reputable cloud phone providers walk you through during onboarding. See 000 Emergency Calling VoIP Australia for full details.

What is the cheapest way to get a dedicated business number?

A virtual number with a mobile app is the cheapest option -- typically $5-15/month including GST. You do not need a desk phone, a separate device, or any hardware. The app runs on your existing smartphone. You get a proper business number, voicemail, after-hours messaging, and the ability to make outbound calls showing your business number. It is the right starting point for sole traders and micro businesses.

My ISP gave me a phone port with my NBN -- is that enough?

It depends on what you need. The ISP phone port is a basic VoIP service -- you get a number, dial tone, and basic voicemail. For a home-based business that just needs occasional calls, it might be fine. But it does not give you call routing, ring groups, after-hours control, a management dashboard, or easy number portability. If you want to use it as your main business line, check whether the number can be ported if you ever want to switch providers -- some ISP-provisioned numbers are difficult to port. A dedicated business phone provider gives you more control and more features for a similar or lower monthly cost.

Do I need a separate phone for my business number?

No. A virtual business number works through an app on your existing smartphone. You answer calls from your business number on the same phone you already have -- they just come through the app rather than to your regular phone number. The caller sees your business number. Your personal number stays private. If you prefer a physical desk phone for your office, that option exists too -- but it is a preference, not a requirement.