Yes, for a VoIP phone to work you will need to have an active VoIP service supplied by a VoIP provider.

A VoIP service and provider are integral parts of any business VoIP phone system. The VoIP service is much like the engine room of your phone system. It is both the backbone and brain of the system. It enables voice data to be delivered via an Internet connection, while also carrying out the hard work of orchestrating professional call features such as call routing, recording, queueing and more. 

In much the same way as a motorcycle needs fuel to run, a VoIP phone needs a VoIP service to work. 

VoIP phones are sometimes incorrectly referred to as VoIP systems when actually they are just a small part of the solution. So while a VoIP service makes calling possible with a VoIP phone, softphone app or browser-based webphone, it is not possible to make and receive calls with only a set of VoIP phones in your office.

Why not discover more information about how VoIP works today, or alternatively get first-hand experience and try a VoIP service free for 14 days.