eSIM vs Landline

Will eSIM Ever Replace the Landline?

Why You Don’t Need a New SIM – Just a Better App

Everyone’s talking about eSIM as the future of connectivity. Scan a QR code, activate a plan, and your phone is ready to go. It’s neat, it’s modern, and it sounds like a natural upgrade from clunky old landlines.

But here’s the truth most businesses don’t hear:

You don’t need an eSIM to replace your landline.
You need smarter call control – and that comes from an app, not a SIM.

Let’s unpack why.

What eSIM Actually Does (and Doesn’t Do)

An eSIM is simply a digital version of a SIM card. Instead of popping a bit of plastic into your phone, your mobile profile is downloaded and stored inside the device.

That’s convenient for:

Switching networks without swapping SIMs
Having multiple profiles (e.g. UK and roaming)
Activating service quickly for remote users

But eSIM doesn’t magically turn a mobile into a business-grade phone system. It doesn’t give you call queues, IVRs, analytics, or flexible call routing. It just changes how your mobile line is provisioned.

From a caller’s point of view, an eSIM number behaves like… a normal mobile number.

VoLTE: The Data You Didn’t Know You Were Already Using

Most mobile providers now handle voice using VoLTE (Voice over LTE). That means your calls are already being carried as data packets over the 4G/5G network, even though it feels like a “normal” phone call.

So if calls are already using data, what’s the real advantage of tying yourself more tightly to the mobile operator with another SIM or eSIM?

You end up with:

A number that lives on a single device
Limited control over how calls are handled
Basic features compared with a true phone system

In other words, eSIM doesn’t fix the landline problem. It just moves it onto a mobile.

The Better Option: Turn Data into a Smart Phone System

If the underlying traffic is data anyway, the smarter move is to run your business calls through a dedicated app rather than relying on the mobile network’s built-in calling.

With the right app, your “landline” becomes:

Independent of any single SIM or device
Usable on mobiles, laptops, and tablets
Controlled from a central portal with full visibility

That’s where Second Ring comes in.

Second Ring: Designed for Real-World Networks

Second Ring’s app is built specifically to deliver high-quality voice over imperfect connections. Not everyone sits on flawless fibre with five bars of 5G all day, so the app is tuned to cope with:

Low bandwidth connections
Jitter and fluctuations in the network
Busy Wi-Fi and patchy 4G/5G

Behind the scenes, the Second Ring platform optimises audio to keep conversations smooth and clear, even when the connection isn’t. The focus is simple:

If you’ve got some data, you should be able to hold a professional call.

That could be over Wi-Fi, a standard SIM, an eSIM – it doesn’t matter. The app does the heavy lifting.

Why an App Beats eSIM for Replacing the Landline

Here’s where the app-first approach really pulls away from eSIM:

1. Proper call control
You get features a mobile number alone can’t offer:

Hunt groups and call queues
Time-based routing (business hours, weekends, holidays)
IVR menus (press 1 for sales, 2 for support)
Voicemail to email and more

2. One number, many devices
Your “landline” can ring on multiple phones, desktops, or tablets at once. If someone’s out of the office, they can still answer from the app – no diverts, no SIM juggling.

3. Work stays separate from personal
Staff keep their personal mobile numbers private. The Second Ring app handles business calls, with business caller ID, so customer conversations stay professional and controlled.

4. Network flexibility
Because the app runs over data, it doesn’t care whether that data comes from:

A physical SIM
An eSIM
Wi-Fi in the office or at home

You’re not locked into a particular mobile provider or SIM setup.

So… Will eSIM Replace the Landline?

Not by itself.

eSIM is a nice convenience for mobile connectivity, but it doesn’t transform how your business handles calls. It doesn’t give you smarter routing, better control, or real flexibility for modern teams.

The real landline replacement is software:

A powerful app that runs over any data connection
A platform that handles low bandwidth and jitter gracefully
Call features designed for how businesses actually work today

That’s what Second Ring is built to deliver.

If you’re planning your landline exit strategy, you don’t need to rethink your SIMs.
You need to rethink your phone system.

Skip the eSIM hype. Put your “landline” in an app that gives you control, features, and call quality wherever your team happens to be.