If you have a PBX telephone system, you’re probably used to seeing your physical phone connected via cord to a phone jack in the wall. Phone lines run through your building, then outside, and connect to a telephone pole.

Your phone company then charges you for every call you make, at a rate which enables them to pay for, maintain, and repair these aging systems. Every time you need a new line, they charge you again for the new installation and the upgrade to your calling plan.

Different phone carriers also own different stretches of phone line, so your phone company can charge you extra for every call that goes outside your area code, or your state. Most phone companies also sell minutes in bundles only – so they can then charge you for every extra minute used over your allotment.