01
Start with the cloud phone system
Your business number and call rules live in the cloud, rather than in a phone box sitting in the office.
Business calls that keep moving
How your business can keep answering when the NBN or power drops
A cloud phone system is not tied to a box in your office. With the right failover set up, calls can move to the GoTo Connect app on a mobile when the office loses internet or mains power, provided the mobile has power, a working data connection and is signed in to the app.
A practical plan for the unexpected
The same business number, a clear call path and a setup your team has tested before it matters.
The useful bit
The office can go quiet. Your number does not have to.
Cloud calling separates the number your customers use from the equipment at your desk. That gives you somewhere else to answer when the office connection is unavailable.
02
Choose where calls go next
Set a failover rule that sends calls to the GoTo Connect app on a powered mobile that is signed in and has a working connection, or to another working location.
03
Keep the same business number
Customers still call the number they know. The route changes behind the scenes when the office cannot answer.
When the office connection stops
What your customers experience.
The caller does not need to know that the NBN or power is down. They can still call your usual number. If failover is configured and the receiving device has power, a working connection and an active app sign-in, the call follows the backup route you agreed on.
01
NBN goes down
The office phones may lose their connection. A configured failover can send calls to a powered mobile app signed in on a device using mobile data or another working connection.
For a plain-English explanation, read what to do when the NBN is down.
02
Power goes out
The desk phones and local internet equipment may stop. A powered mobile signed in to the app with its own connection can still be the place your business answers calls.
See the guide to keeping business phones running through a power outage.
The important condition
Failover is a planned route, not magic. It needs to be configured before the outage, and the device receiving the call needs power, a working data connection and an active app sign-in. We will explain what your arrangement covers so there are no surprises.
A simple failover checklist
Check it before you need it.
A few practical checks can make an outage much less disruptive. Work through them with the people who answer your calls.
01
Confirm that your business number is hosted in the cloud, not dependent on a phone box at the office.
02
Install and sign in to the GoTo Connect app on the mobile that will take calls.
03
Set a failover rule for the office internet connection and check which team members should receive calls.
04
Test the rule with your team, including what happens if the office loses power as well as internet.
05
Keep a second way to call 000 — a charged mobile phone. Cloud phone calls run over your internet connection and need power, so your cloud phone (including the app) may not be able to call 000 if the NBN or power goes out. You can dial 000 or 112 from any mobile in range of a mobile network, even without a SIM or credit.
Emergency calls from a cloud phone may not automatically pass on your address — be ready to tell the operator where you are.
A note about NBN
VoIP on NBN needs a plan for the days NBN is not there.
An NBN compatible phone system can work well for everyday business calling. The useful question is what happens outside the everyday. Our guide to call failover when the office goes down explains the moving parts in plain English.
If you are preparing for the NBN switch-off, read what to check before your business phone changes. The right setup depends on your number, connection and how your team works.
Questions about continuity
The useful answers.
Start with the questions small and medium sized businesses ask before they rely on a cloud phone system.
What happens to my business phone when NBN goes down?
If your cloud phone system and failover rules are set up, and the mobile is powered on, signed in to the GoTo Connect app and has its own working connection, calls can move to the app. If the mobile has no service or the failover has not been configured, calls may not get through.
Can a phone system failover to mobile?
Yes. A cloud-based phone system can send calls to the app on a mobile, using the same business number. The mobile needs power, its own working mobile data or Wi-Fi connection and an active app sign-in.
What happens to a business phone system in a power outage?
The phones and internet equipment at the office may stop working, but calls can still be answered elsewhere when failover is configured before the outage. The person taking the call also needs a powered device, a working connection and an active app sign-in.
Does VoIP on NBN work with an NBN compatible phone system?
Yes. A cloud phone system can run over an NBN connection. The important part is planning what happens if that connection or the power at the office is unavailable.
How do I keep taking calls when the internet is down?
Set up failover before you need it. Calls can then be routed to the app on a mobile or another working location, provided that device has power, its own working connection and an active app sign-in.
Will failover use the same business number?
Yes. The aim is to keep your existing business number and change where it rings when the office cannot answer.
What do I need to check before relying on failover?
Check the app login, the mobile connection, the failover rule and the people who should receive calls. Then test an office internet and power outage scenario with your team.
Can you talk us through our own failover arrangement?
Yes. We can review how your business takes calls, explain what the setup can and cannot cover, and help you test it during business hours.
Deeper reading
More on keeping calls moving.
When you have a moment, read the NBN-down guide, the power-out guide and the failover explanation.
A clear next step
Make a plan for the calls you cannot miss.
Tell us how your team answers calls today. We will talk through a sensible failover arrangement, what it covers and what it does not.