💰 Costs & ROI ⏱ 8 min read 📅 March 2026
If you're paying more than $40 per phone line per month, you're leaving serious money on the table. Most Quebec SMBs overpay for business telephony by 2 to 5 times — without even knowing it. This article shows you exactly where your money is going and how to stop the bleeding.

The Reality of Business Phone Costs in Quebec in 2026

The average Quebec SMB spends between 3% and 6% of its operating budget on telecommunications. A large portion of this expense is tied to contracts signed 5, 7, or even 10 years ago — when VoIP wasn't yet accessible to small businesses.

Today, the market has changed dramatically. IP technology has matured, prices have dropped, and available features have exploded. Yet many SMBs continue paying 10-year-old prices for 20-year-old service.

67%
of SMBs overpay for their phone lines
40-60%
potential savings by switching to VoIP
12 months
average ROI period for a VoIP migration

6 Reasons Your Phone System Is Costing Too Much

1. You're Paying for Unused Lines

Traditional telephony forces you to pay per line, used or not. With VoIP, you only pay for active users. Adding or removing a line is as simple as creating an email account.

⚠️ Quick Check Compare the number of lines on your bill to the number of employees actually using the phone. If the gap is 20% or more, you're paying for ghost lines.

2. Long Distance Calls Are Blowing Your Budget

Traditional carriers still charge per-minute for long-distance calls. VoIP typically includes unlimited calls across Canada and to the US in a flat monthly fee. For businesses with clients or partners outside Quebec, the savings can be hundreds of dollars per month.

3. Your Aging PBX Is Draining Resources

If you have a physical PBX older than 5 years (Avaya, Mitel, NEC, etc.), you're likely paying:

4. Your Contract Auto-Renews — Without Your Knowledge

One of the most common practices in the telecom industry. You sign a 3-year contract, the expiry date passes unnoticed, and it automatically renews — often at higher rates than current market offers.

Action item: Find your current contract. Check the automatic renewal clause. The cancellation window is typically 30-90 days before renewal.

Not sure when your contract expires?
Our advisors can analyze your current bill for free and identify your options.
Free Bill Analysis →

5. You're Paying for Features You Don't Use

Traditional telephony often includes optional features billed separately: voicemail, call forwarding, conferencing, toll-free numbers, etc. Many SMBs pay for features they never use.

VoIP includes all these features natively — plus many more — in a unified monthly package: auto-attendant, call queues, call recording, CRM integration, mobile app, and more.

6. Your Network Isn't Optimized for Voice

A poorly configured network can cause call quality issues (choppy audio, echo, delays) that force your team to call back, repeat themselves, or use personal cell phones.

How Much Can You Really Save?

Expense TypeTraditional TelephonyVoIP with Simplisystel
Cost per line/month$35 – $65$15 – $25
Canada long distance$0.05 – $0.10/minIncluded
Annual PBX maintenance$1,500 – $8,000Included (cloud)
System upgrade$5,000 – $30,000Automatic
Mobile appAdd-on or not availableIncluded
Video conferencingSeparate subscriptionBuilt-in
💡 Real Example A 15-employee SMB in Laval was paying $1,140/month in traditional telephony ($76/line including maintenance and long-distance). After migrating to our VoIP solution, their monthly bill dropped to $375/month. Annual savings: $9,180.

Why Choose Simplisystel?

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