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Practical guide

VoIP phone systems for small businesses in Québec

For a long time, a business phone system meant a box in a closet, desk phones and a contract of several years. Today, a small business can get the same features in an app, on its team's mobiles and computers. This guide explains how it works, what to check before switching and the rules to follow in Québec.

Guides · Reviewed · 4 min read

What IP telephony is

IP telephony, or voice over IP (VoIP), carries calls over the internet instead of a traditional phone line. In a hosted business system, the "switchboard" that routes calls is no longer a device at your place: it runs at the provider, and you configure it in a web portal. Staff answer in an app, on their mobile or computer, or on a compatible desk phone if the business already has some.

The features that change everyday work

  • Auto attendant: "Pour le service en français, faites le 1; for service in English, press 2", then a choice of department or extension.
  • Extensions and direct numbers: each employee has an extension and, if needed, their own number.
  • Ring groups: a call rings several people at once or one after another.
  • Business hours: after hours and on statutory holidays, the call goes to voicemail or a suitable message.
  • Voicemail per extension, with email notices.
  • Forwarding to a mobile: an employee on the road doesn't miss the call, and their personal number stays private.
  • Call reports: who called, when, and which calls were missed.

The internet connection you need

Voice needs little bandwidth, around a hundred kilobits per second per active call, but it needs a stable connection. For a small team, an ordinary business internet connection is usually enough; what matters is the number of simultaneous calls, and what the rest of the office is doing at the same time. If staff upload large files or hold many video meetings, a router that gives priority to voice (quality of service, or QoS) makes a real difference.

Think about outages too. What happens if the office internet goes down? A good system then forwards calls to mobiles or to voicemail instead of letting them ring into the void. Check this setting before you need it.

Keeping the business number

The main number is a business asset: it is on the sign, the website and the invoices. In Canada, number portability, overseen by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), generally lets you bring it to the new provider. The golden rule: don't cancel the old service before the port is complete. Our guide to porting your number explains the steps.

9-1-1 when the team works everywhere

With an internet system, an employee can answer at the office, at home or on a job site. As with any nomadic service, the network doesn't automatically know where a 9-1-1 call comes from. The address tied to each line must be kept up to date, and every employee must know the service's limits. Keep a landline or a mobile within reach where people work alone.

French first

In Québec, the Charter of the French language gives consumers the right to be informed and served in French. Your phone greeting, hold messages and voicemail should therefore start in French, then offer English as needed. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) publishes information for businesses about these obligations.

Recording calls and using AI

Recording calls can help with training or settling a dispute, but recordings are personal information. Under Law 25, tell the caller clearly before recording, record only for a specific reason, limit access, set a retention period and delete afterwards. The same goes for transcripts and summaries produced by artificial intelligence. Québec's Commission d'accès à l'information (CAI) publishes guides for businesses.

The costs to plan for

  • The subscription, usually per line (per employee) per month.
  • Taxes, and Québec's 9-1-1 municipal tax where it applies.
  • Extra numbers, a toll-free number or long-distance calls, if they are not included.
  • Devices, only if you want desk phones or headsets: an app is often enough.
  • Setup time: plan an hour or two for the greeting, extensions and business hours.

Switching to VoIP in five steps

  1. List your numbers, your staff and what each incoming call should do.
  2. Check your internet connection and your router.
  3. Set up the new system with a temporary number and test it with your team.
  4. Request the port of your main number, without cancelling the old service.
  5. On the day of the port, make test calls, then cancel the old service once everything is confirmed.

With MIMT

MIMT Business is an internet phone system built for Québec: extensions, bilingual greeting, ring groups, business hours with Québec statutory holidays, forwarding to mobiles and, with Business Pro, call recording that is always announced. Price per line: $34.99 a month for Business, $44.99 for Business Pro, taxes extra, with no hardware to buy. See MIMT Business and business VoIP.