Not only is SIP trunking exceptionally adaptable and customizable based on the needs of companies of all sizes, but it also offers significant financial benefits as it has eradicated the necessity for costly options like PTSN gateways, PRIs and BRIs. As a result, it could be argued that PRI has now become a thing of the past – presenting more cons than pros, when compared to SIP trunking.

PRI Versus SIP Trunking

Primary Rate Interface, or PRI, is an electronic circuit with twenty-three channels (also known as voice paths), as well as a single signaling channel. One advantage to having PRI is that you do not have to worry about the quality of your calls as the PRI connects directly to the PSTN, also know as Public Switched Telephone Network. On the flip side, however, PRI systems require extensive amounts of equipment such as cables and hardware. Ultimately, this translates to higher costs and therefore, is not the best-suited option for the ever-changing environments of today’s businesses.

Alternatively, SIP trunking is comprised of Internet call paths that can be increased or decreased, to any amount, to meet the needs of your business. SIP trunking is also extremely flexible and dependable, not to mention economical as there is no purchase or installation of hardware required. Below is a further investigation of some of the benefits provided by SIP trunking:

Virtual Connections

Unlike PRI that requires actual cables and costly termination equipment, SIP trunking networks are not bound by time / space consuming equipment, and rely solely on virtual connections.

Easily Adjustable

Scaling up your PRI is a time consuming and costly task as you can only add voice channels in sets of twenty-three at a time, in addition to having to manually install new circuits. On the other hand, new SIP trunking can be added or removed with a quick software adjustment. This allows companies greater flexibility and convenience as new SIP trunks can be added or removed in a mere number of hours, instead of weeks (as is the case with PRI).

Cost Efficiency

Overall, the costs associated with SIP trunking is considerably lower than it is with PRI. This is because the expenditure required to operate a PRI replies upon the quantity of voice channels being utilized by a particular business. The cost structure available for companies who are looking to add to their number of existing circuits is markedly inept. On the bright side, though, there are a variety of pricing options offered for SIP trunking and are based mostly on volume of usage.

Disaster Recovery Options

In the event of a natural disaster, redirecting calls to backup locales for PRI is not only expensive, but also complicated and time consuming. On the Contrary, with SIP trunking businesses are able to forward calls to a substitute location should their main one become disabled during some natural, or otherwise, catastrophe.

As with many other forms of technology, PRI has joined the likes of those that are becoming increasingly obsolete. With SIP trunking’s customizable, inexpensive and simple features, it is no wonder that PRI is no longer able to compete. With that being said, SIP trunking is certainly a superlative option for the modern-day company.