For remote teams deciding between desk phones, softphones, and mobile apps -- and comparing hosted VOIP providers that support distributed teams -- see our guide to the best VOIP phone systems for small business in Australia.
Why Remote Teams Need a Different Phone Setup
When everyone worked in the same office, the phone system was simple. Phones on desks, calls ring, someone answers. Remote and hybrid work changes every assumption. Staff are scattered across home offices, co-working spaces, and the main office. They work different hours. Their internet connections vary wildly. And the biggest problem nobody talks about: when a remote worker's desk phone is in the office and they are at home, their business calls go unanswered.Traditional phone systems were not designed for this. They assume everyone is in the same building, plugged into the same network. VOIP systems designed for remote work decouple the phone number from the physical location. Your business number follows the person, not the desk. A customer calls the main office number, and the call rings on a laptop in someone's home office, a mobile app on another person's phone at a cafe, and a desk phone in the office, all simultaneously. The customer has no idea. They just know someone answered.The cost difference between a phone system that works for remote teams and one that does not is minimal. The cost of getting it wrong, measured in missed calls, frustrated clients, and staff using personal mobiles for business, is significant.Softphone Apps: The Foundation of Remote VOIP
A softphone is an application that turns a computer, tablet, or mobile phone into a full-featured business phone. It makes and receives calls using your business phone number over the internet. Most hosted VOIP providers include softphone apps with every user license at no additional cost.Desktop Softphones (Computer-Based)
Desktop softphone apps run on Windows or Mac and let staff make and receive calls through their computer using a headset. For remote workers who spend most of their day at a desk with a computer, this is the most practical setup. The softphone integrates with the business phone system exactly like a desk phone would: it shows incoming calls, allows transfers, supports hold, and connects to voicemail.The audio quality depends on the headset and the internet connection, not the softphone app itself. A $50 to $100 AUD USB headset with noise cancellation delivers professional call quality. Built-in laptop microphones and speakers do not. If your remote staff will be on calls regularly, supplying them with a proper headset is a small investment with a big quality payoff.Mobile Softphones (Phone-Based)
Mobile softphone apps run on iOS and Android and let staff make and receive business calls on their personal mobile phone using the business number. The caller sees your business number on their screen, not the staff member's personal mobile number. The staff member's personal number stays private.This solves one of the biggest problems remote workers face: the pressure to share their personal mobile number with clients. Once a client has your personal number, the boundary between work and personal time disappears. With a mobile softphone, the staff member can turn off the business app at the end of the day. Calls to the business number go to voicemail or route to another team member. The personal phone stays personal.Mobile softphones can use either WiFi or mobile data. On WiFi, call quality is typically excellent. On mobile data (4G/5G), quality is good but depends on signal strength. Most apps automatically switch between WiFi and data as needed.Desk Phones for Home Offices: When They Make Sense
Some remote workers prefer a physical desk phone at home. Sales staff, account managers, and anyone who spends 3+ hours per day on calls often finds a desk phone more comfortable than a headset and computer. The tactile experience of a physical handset, dedicated hold and transfer buttons, and not having to keep a computer app running are genuine advantages.VOIP desk phones connect to your home router via Ethernet cable, register with the business phone system over the internet, and work identically to a phone in the office. The business does not need to do anything special. The phone does not care whether it is plugged in at head office or in a spare bedroom. A quality entry-level desk phone like a Yealink T31P costs $100 to $150 AUD. Mid-range phones with colour screens and Bluetooth headset support (Yealink T54W, Grandstream GRP2634) run $200 to $350 AUD.The practical consideration is that the remote worker's home internet connection needs to be reliable. If they are on NBN Fixed Wireless with patchy connectivity, a softphone on mobile data might actually be more reliable than a desk phone on WiFi.The Unified Business Number: How It Works
The single most important feature for remote teams is a unified business number. This means every staff member, regardless of where they are physically located, makes and receives calls using the same business phone number (or their assigned direct extension). The customer experience is seamless. They dial one number, someone answers, and they have no idea whether that person is in the office, at home, or in a different city.Here is how it works technically. Your business has a main phone number (or multiple numbers). When a call comes in, the hosted VOIP platform routes it according to your call flow rules: ring the reception group first, then overflow to available staff. Each staff member's 'phone' might be a desk phone in the office, a softphone on a home computer, a mobile app, or all three simultaneously. The platform rings all of their registered devices. Whichever device they answer on, the call connects. The caller's experience is identical regardless.Outbound calls work the same way. When a remote worker dials a client from their softphone app or desk phone at home, the caller ID shows the business number, not their home phone or personal mobile. The client can call that number back and reach the business system, not a personal voicemail. This is not just about professionalism. It protects staff privacy and ensures the business retains the client relationship, not the individual staff member's personal phone.Microsoft Teams Integration
Many remote teams already use Microsoft Teams for chat, video meetings, and file sharing. The natural question is whether Teams can also handle phone calls. The answer is yes, but it requires additional configuration and cost.Microsoft Teams Phone (formerly Microsoft Phone System) adds traditional telephony to Teams. Staff can make and receive external phone calls directly from the Teams app on their computer or mobile, using a business phone number. For teams already living in Teams all day, this consolidates everything into one app. No separate softphone, no separate system. The Microsoft Teams phone system guide covers the full setup, licensing costs, and AU-specific considerations.There are two main ways to connect Teams to the phone network. Microsoft Calling Plans let you buy phone numbers directly from Microsoft. This is the simplest option but has limited number availability in Australia and higher per-user costs. Direct Routing connects Teams to a third-party SIP provider, giving you Australian phone numbers, number porting, and typically lower call costs. Most Australian businesses use Direct Routing because it is more flexible and cost-effective.The trade-off with Teams Phone is cost and complexity. You need Microsoft 365 business licenses plus Teams Phone add-on licenses ($10 to $15 AUD per user per month on top of your existing Microsoft 365 subscription). A standalone hosted VOIP solution often costs less per user and provides more telephony-specific features. The decision usually comes down to whether the convenience of a single app outweighs the cost difference.Home Internet Quality: What Your Remote Workers Need
VOIP call quality depends entirely on the internet connection at each end. Your office probably has a reliable NBN connection. Your remote workers' home connections are a different story. Some are on NBN 100 fibre. Others are on NBN Fixed Wireless with inconsistent speeds. Some are in areas with FTTN connections that struggle during peak evening hours.Here is what a VOIP call actually needs from an internet connection:Bandwidth: Each active call uses approximately 80 to 100 Kbps upload and download (G.711 codec). This is tiny. Even a basic NBN 25 plan has more than enough bandwidth for multiple simultaneous calls. Bandwidth is almost never the bottleneck for home workers.
Latency: The delay between speaking and the other person hearing you. Under 150ms is acceptable. Under 50ms is excellent. Most NBN connections deliver 10 to 30ms latency, which is fine. NBN Satellite is the exception, with 600ms+ latency that makes real-time conversation impractical.
Jitter: Variation in latency. Jitter above 30ms causes choppy, robotic-sounding audio. This is the most common quality issue on home connections, especially FTTN connections during peak usage or WiFi connections with interference.
Packet loss: Lost data packets cause audio dropouts. Above 1% packet loss, conversations become difficult. Wired Ethernet connections almost never have packet loss issues. WiFi connections can.Use the VOIP bandwidth calculator to test whether a specific home connection can support VOIP calls. The biggest practical improvement for most home workers is connecting via Ethernet cable instead of WiFi. WiFi introduces jitter and occasional packet loss, especially in homes with multiple devices, thick walls, or interference from neighbours' networks. A $10 Ethernet cable eliminates this entirely.
Practical Tips for Home Office Audio Quality
Beyond the internet connection, the physical audio setup matters. Remote workers on calls all day should have:- A USB headset with noise cancellation ($50 to $100 AUD). This is non-negotiable for professional call quality. Built-in laptop microphones pick up keyboard noise, room echo, and background sounds.
- A wired Ethernet connection to the router, not WiFi, for the device running the softphone
- A quiet workspace. Open-plan living areas, kitchens, and rooms with hard surfaces create echo and background noise that headsets cannot fully eliminate
- Their router's QoS (Quality of Service) configured to prioritise voice traffic if available. This ensures VOIP calls get bandwidth priority over streaming, downloads, and cloud backups happening on other devices in the household
Hot Desking for Hybrid Workers
Hybrid workers split time between the office and home. If the office has assigned desks with desk phones, the hybrid worker's phone sits unused half the week. Hot desking solves this. Staff log into any available desk phone when they arrive at the office, and that phone becomes 'theirs' for the day, with their extension, their direct number, their voicemail, and their call history.Most modern VOIP desk phones support hot desking natively. The staff member either enters a login code on the phone's screen or uses a web portal to assign themselves to a phone. When they leave, they log out and the phone reverts to a generic state. The next person who sits down logs in and the phone becomes theirs.Hot desking means the business needs fewer desk phones than staff. If you have 20 staff but only 10 are in the office on any given day, you need 10 desk phones, not 20. Each phone is shared across multiple users throughout the week. Combined with softphone apps for work-from-home days, this significantly reduces hardware costs.Call Routing for Split Teams
When your team is split between office and home, call routing needs to be location-aware without manual intervention. Here is how to configure it.Simultaneous Ring
Configure each staff member's extension to ring all their devices simultaneously: desk phone (if they are in the office), desktop softphone (if they are at their home computer), and mobile app (if they are away from both). Whichever device they are using, the call reaches them. They answer on one device and the others stop ringing. No manual switching required. The system does not need to know where the person is. It just rings everywhere.Presence and Availability
Many VOIP platforms include presence indicators that show whether a colleague is available, on a call, or away. For remote teams, this replaces the visual cue of seeing someone at their desk. Before transferring a call, the receptionist can check whether the person is available without having to call them first. This small feature significantly improves the customer experience because transfers go to people who are actually there to answer.Ring Groups Across Locations
Ring groups work identically whether the members are in the office, at home, or split across both. A sales ring group can include three office phones and two softphone apps at home. The caller hears ringing. Someone answers. They do not know or care where the salesperson is sitting. This is the fundamental advantage of cloud-based VOIP for remote teams: location is irrelevant to the call experience.After-Hours and Time Zone Routing
If your remote team spans time zones (Perth and Sydney, for example), you can configure call routing to take advantage of the time difference. Calls that come in after business hours in Sydney can route to staff in Perth who are still working. This extends your effective business hours without requiring anyone to work overtime. For businesses with clients across Australia, this is a meaningful service improvement at zero additional cost.Security Considerations for Remote VOIP
Remote VOIP introduces security considerations that office-only setups do not have. Staff are connecting to the business phone system from home networks that the business does not control.Softphone authentication: Ensure softphone apps require strong passwords and, ideally, two-factor authentication. If a staff member's phone is lost or stolen, the business should be able to remotely revoke the softphone app's access.Home network security: Encourage remote staff to change their home router's default password, enable WPA3 (or at minimum WPA2) WiFi encryption, and keep router firmware updated. A compromised home network could theoretically expose VOIP traffic.
VPN considerations: Some businesses route all remote traffic through a corporate VPN. VOIP over VPN can work but adds latency and reduces call quality. If your business uses a VPN, test VOIP quality over the VPN before committing. Many businesses configure split-tunnel VPN that routes VOIP traffic directly to the provider while other traffic goes through the VPN.
Call recording awareness: If your business records calls, remote workers should be informed that calls they take from home are also recorded. This is both a legal and a trust consideration.
Choosing a VOIP Provider for Remote Teams
Not all VOIP providers are equally good at supporting remote teams. When evaluating providers, ask these specific questions:- Are softphone apps (desktop and mobile) included with every user license, or are they an add-on cost?- Can a single user have multiple devices registered simultaneously (desk phone + softphone + mobile app)?
- Does the platform support hot desking on shared desk phones?
- Is there a web-based admin portal where call routing can be changed without calling support?
- What presence/availability features are included?
- How does the system handle failover when a remote worker's internet drops out?
- Is the provider's infrastructure hosted in Australia (lower latency for AU-based workers)?
- What is the support model? Can a remote worker contact support directly, or does everything go through the business admin?Specialist VOIP providers that serve Australian businesses typically handle remote setups well because they have been configuring them since well before the pandemic made remote work mainstream. Larger carriers tend to have more rigid configurations that assume everyone is in one office. Compare the business phone system overview for a broader look at the provider landscape.
Cost Breakdown: VOIP for Remote Teams
The cost of a VOIP system for a remote or hybrid team is generally the same as an office-based system, because the software and call capacity do not change based on where staff are located. The differences are in hardware.Per-user VOIP service: $20 to $45 AUD per user per month for hosted VOIP with softphone apps, call routing, voicemail, and standard features. This is the same whether the user is in the office or at home.Desk phones (optional): $100 to $350 AUD per phone (one-time purchase or $5 to $15/month rental). Not required if staff use softphones. Budget for office phones plus any home office phones requested by heavy phone users.
Headsets for remote workers: $50 to $100 AUD per headset. This is essential equipment, not optional. Budget for one per remote worker.
Ethernet cables/adapters: $10 to $20 AUD per remote worker for a direct Ethernet connection to their router. Strongly recommended over WiFi for call quality.Example: 15-person hybrid team (8 office, 7 remote)
- 8 desk phones for office: $1,200 to $2,400 (purchase) or $40 to $120/month (rental)
- 7 headsets for remote workers: $350 to $700 (one-time)
- 15 user licenses: $300 to $675/month
- Total monthly cost: $340 to $795/month plus one-time hardware
This is comparable to a 15-person office-only setup. The softphone apps that make remote work possible are included in the per-user license. You are not paying extra for remote capability.For a detailed estimate based on your specific team, use the VOIP cost calculator.
Australian Remote Teams: Specific Considerations
NBN Connection Types Across the Team
Your remote workers will be on different NBN connection types. Staff in newer suburbs might have FTTP (fibre to the premises) with excellent reliability. Staff in older suburbs might have FTTN (fibre to the node) with variable performance. Staff in regional areas might be on Fixed Wireless with speed fluctuations during peak usage. Understanding what each team member is working with helps you set expectations and plan alternatives.For staff on unreliable home connections, the mobile softphone app over 4G/5G is often more reliable than a desk phone or desktop softphone on a patchy NBN connection. Most VOIP providers' mobile apps handle the switch between WiFi and mobile data seamlessly. This is the backup plan that makes remote VOIP robust even on imperfect home connections.Regional and Remote Workers
If you have team members in regional Australia, their internet options may be limited to Fixed Wireless NBN or, in very remote areas, satellite. Fixed Wireless can support VOIP calls but quality may degrade during peak congestion (typically evenings, less of an issue during business hours). Satellite NBN is generally unsuitable for real-time VOIP due to the 600ms+ latency. For satellite-only workers, the mobile softphone app over 4G is the practical solution, provided 4G coverage is available.Check the call quality guide for detailed information on how different connection types affect VOIP performance.Number Porting and Business Number Continuity
If you are switching from a traditional phone system to a remote-capable VOIP system, you can port your existing business phone number. The process takes 5 to 10 business days and your number continues working on the old system until cutover. Once ported, the number works identically on all devices: desk phones, softphones, and mobile apps. No client needs to update their contact records.What Most Businesses Get Wrong
1. Letting remote workers use personal mobiles for business calls. This seems like the easiest solution. 'Just call clients from your mobile.' But it creates real problems. Clients save the personal number and call it directly, bypassing the business system. When the staff member leaves, the client relationship goes with them. Work-life boundaries erode when clients call personal numbers at all hours. And the business loses visibility into call volume, missed calls, and client communication patterns. A softphone app costs nothing extra on top of the VOIP service and solves every one of these problems.2. Skipping headsets and relying on laptop audio. A remote worker taking client calls through their laptop's built-in microphone and speakers sounds unprofessional. Echo, background noise, typing sounds, and room reverb are all clearly audible to the caller. A $50 USB headset with noise cancellation eliminates this entirely. If your remote workers are representing the business on calls, proper audio equipment is a basic requirement, not a perk.3. Not testing home internet before deploying phones. Shipping a $300 desk phone to a remote worker on satellite NBN is wasting money. Test each remote worker's connection first using the bandwidth calculator and a real test call. Identify workers who need to use the mobile app instead of a desk phone. Identify workers who need Ethernet instead of WiFi. Spending 10 minutes on testing prevents weeks of frustrating call quality issues.Your Next Steps
If you are setting up VOIP for a remote or hybrid team, work through this checklist:1. Audit your team's locations and internet quality. List each team member's work location and NBN connection type. Identify anyone on satellite or unreliable connections who will need the mobile app as their primary phone.2. Decide on devices. Office workers get desk phones. Heavy phone users working from home may want desk phones. Everyone else gets softphone apps (desktop and mobile). Budget for USB headsets for every remote worker.
3. Design your call flow. Map out how calls should route: who answers first, who is in each ring group, what happens after hours, how overflow works when staff are split across locations. The call flow design guide walks through this step by step.
4. Choose a provider with strong remote capabilities. Confirm softphone apps are included, simultaneous device registration is supported, hot desking is available, and the admin portal allows self-service call flow changes.
5. Test before full deployment. Set up 2 to 3 users first, including at least one remote worker. Test call quality from home, test transfers between office and remote, test the mobile app over 4G. Fix any issues before rolling out to the whole team.
6. Equip your remote workers properly. Ship headsets and Ethernet cables with clear setup instructions. Provide a quick guide for the softphone app. Make it easy for non-technical staff to get started without needing IT support.
7. Configure QoS on office and home routers. Prioritise voice traffic over other internet usage. In the office, this is straightforward. For home workers, provide simple instructions for their specific router model if possible.If you need help choosing the right provider and configuration for your remote team, get a free recommendation and we will match you with a solution that fits your team's specific setup.
One of the most common hardware decisions for remote teams is whether to use desk phones or softphones. See our detailed comparison: desk phone vs softphone for business.
Remote workers introduce per-employee readiness variables, each person's home internet and router setup affects call quality independently. Our Office Phone Readiness Check can be run per location to identify individual readiness gaps across a distributed team.
Remote teams introduce per-employee configuration and troubleshooting complexity, each person's home setup is a separate environment. Our Do I Need an IT Company for My Phones? quiz accounts for team distribution when assessing whether DIY management is realistic.
Can remote workers use their personal mobile for business calls without giving out their number?
Yes. A mobile softphone app lets remote workers make and receive calls using the business phone number on their personal mobile. The caller sees the business number, not the personal number. The remote worker can turn off the app outside business hours. This is included with most hosted VOIP plans at no extra cost.
Do I need to buy desk phones for remote workers?
Not necessarily. Softphone apps on computers and mobiles provide the same functionality as desk phones. Desk phones for home offices make sense for staff who are on calls for 3+ hours per day and prefer a physical handset. For most remote workers, a good headset ($50 to $100 AUD) and a softphone app is the better setup.
What internet speed do remote workers need for VOIP?
Each VOIP call uses approximately 80 to 100 Kbps upload and download. Any NBN plan (even NBN 25) has more than enough raw bandwidth. The real requirements are low jitter (under 30ms) and minimal packet loss (under 1%). A wired Ethernet connection to the router, rather than WiFi, is the single biggest improvement for home VOIP quality.
Can I use Microsoft Teams as my business phone system?
Yes. Microsoft Teams Phone adds full telephony (external calls, phone numbers, call routing) to Teams. You need Microsoft 365 licenses plus Teams Phone add-on licenses ($10 to $15 AUD per user per month). For teams already using Teams daily, it consolidates everything into one app. For teams that do not use Teams, a standalone hosted VOIP solution is usually simpler and cheaper. See the Microsoft Teams phone system guide for details.
How does hot desking work with VOIP phones?
Hot desking lets staff log into any shared desk phone at the office using a code or web portal. The phone becomes 'theirs' for the day, with their extension, direct number, and voicemail. When they leave, they log out and the next person can log in. This means hybrid teams need fewer desk phones than staff members, reducing hardware costs.
What happens if a remote worker's internet drops during a call?
The call will drop if the internet connection fails completely. However, most VOIP platforms handle brief interruptions (a few seconds) by buffering audio. If the worker's home internet is unreliable, the mobile softphone app over 4G is a reliable backup. Some platforms also support automatic failover: if the desktop softphone loses connection, the call transfers to the mobile app automatically.
Is VOIP over a VPN reliable for remote workers?
VOIP over VPN can work but often introduces additional latency that degrades call quality. The best approach is split-tunnel VPN, which routes VOIP traffic directly to the provider while other traffic goes through the VPN. If your business requires all traffic through the VPN, test VOIP call quality over the VPN before deploying to all remote workers.
Can customers tell whether they are speaking to someone in the office or at home?
No, not from the phone system's perspective. Calls to your business number ring on all configured devices regardless of location. Caller ID shows your business number for outbound calls from any device. The only giveaway would be audio quality differences, which is why proper headsets for remote workers are essential.
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