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Ask FirstNet about Voice

Cloud PBX & Unified Communications For Modern Business

Modern business communication requires flexible, cloud-based voice systems that support hybrid work, improve reliability, and reduce operating costs.

The Solution

Cloud PBX & unified communications solutions in South Africa.

FirstNet delivers three enterprise-grade solutions: Yeastar Cloud PBX (P-Series), Microsoft Teams calling with Operator Connect or Direct Routing, and Zoom Phone & Zoom Contact Centre. Each platform is backed by our carrier-grade voice network and national support.

Quick answers

What is a cloud PBX?

A cloud PBX is a hosted phone system that provides business calling, collaboration, and unified communications features without on-site hardware.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Is Yeastar P-Series a cloud PBX?

Yes. Yeastar P-Series offers a full cloud PBX solution with UC features, mobile apps, and call centre capabilities.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Can Microsoft Teams be used as a phone system?

Yes. With Operator Connect or Direct Routing, Teams becomes a complete business phone system that supports PSTN calling.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

What is the difference between Operator Connect and Direct Routing?

Operator Connect is simpler, cloud-managed, and requires no SBC infrastructure. Direct Routing offers greater control and flexibility for complex environments.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Why FirstNet for cloud voice. Cloud PBX, Teams, and Zoom voice solutions.

FirstNet delivers these platforms on top of a carrier-grade voice network engineered for uptime, quality, and secure call routing. Organisations benefit from a single provider for voice minutes, SIP connectivity, platform deployment, number porting, and ongoing support.

Glass cloud containing a communications server, representing cloud PBX

What sets FirstNet apart

  • Certified provider for Microsoft Teams Operator Connect
  • Expertise across Yeastar P-Series Cloud PBX deployments
  • Zoom Phone & Contact Centre implementation capabilities
  • Local support and engineering teams
  • Fraud protection, analytics, and routing optimisation
  • Managed migration from legacy PBX systems
  • Scalable for SMB, mid-market, and enterprise workloads
  • Lower Costs: no on-prem PBX hardware or maintenance burden.
  • Mobility: softphones and mobile apps enable work from anywhere.
  • Advanced Features: IVR, queues, voicemail-to-email, conferencing.
  • Centralised Control: simple admin portals and policy-based management.
  • Reliability: geo-redundant platform and monitored uptime.

Agentic AI

FirstNet AI receptionist

An AI digital receptionist that answers calls 24/7 on your Managed Cloud PBX. It understands what callers want in natural language, answers from your own content, and routes, queues or hands over to a person when needed.

  • Natural-language answering with intent-based routing to menus, queues or extensions
  • 34 supported languages with a customisable voice, tone and persona
  • Trained on your PDFs, documents, website pages and FAQs
  • Hands complex or sensitive calls to a human agent in Linkus
  • Every call produces a transcript and AI summary
  • Ideal for after-hours, overflow, holiday cover and high-volume routing

Create

Set up an AI Receptionist extension on your PBX.

Customise

Choose the voice, tone, persona and languages callers will hear.

Train

Load your knowledge base: documents, website URLs and FAQs.

Test & publish

Run sample calls, confirm escalation rules, then go live.

Explore the details

FirstNet AI transcriptionReal-time and post-call transcription turns conversations into searchable text, with an AI summary of key…

Call productivity

FirstNet AI transcription

Real-time and post-call transcription turns conversations into searchable text, with an AI summary of key topics, decisions and action items. It is built for coaching, quality review and follow-up rather than regulated compliance recording.

  • Live transcription during calls, plus recorded calls and voicemail
  • AI summary of topics, decisions and action items
  • Speaker identification on multi-party calls
  • Searchable call logs inside the PBX portal
  • For audit-grade recording, pair with FirstNet Compliance Recording
Moving off your old PBXFirstNet designs, ports and runs the service as one managed contract covering the PBX, SIP trunking…

Migration

Moving off your old PBX

FirstNet designs, ports and runs the service as one managed contract covering the PBX, SIP trunking, numbers, softphones and AI add-ons, with one bill and one escalation path.

Side-by-side cutover

Old and new systems run in parallel while users move in waves. Suited to larger or more complex estates.

Big-bang cutover

Everything moves in a single weekend or after-hours window. Suited to smaller sites.

Proven sources

Migration paths cover on-premises PBXs, 3CX, Mitel and similar systems, with full number porting.

Teams front end

Keep Microsoft Teams as the user interface while FirstNet runs real queues, IVR and recording underneath.

Watch: Ditch the dinosaurIs your phone system still living in the Stone Age? Yeastar hosted PBX from FirstNet gives you smarter…

Watch: Ditch the dinosaur

Is your phone system still living in the Stone Age? Yeastar hosted PBX from FirstNet gives you smarter business calling, flexible features and communication that moves at the speed of your business.

  • Hosted in the cloud and managed by FirstNet
  • No service call every time an extension moves
  • Flexible calling features that grow with your business

Ushika, FirstNet

Read the transcript

Is your business phone system still living in the Stone Age? Does it need a service call every time someone sneezes? Does moving an extension feel like organising a moon landing? Come on, it's 2026. Yeastar hosted PBX from FirstNet: smarter business calling, flexible features and communication that moves at the speed of your business. No dinosaurs, no unnecessary drama, just a smarter way to keep your business connected. Yeastar. Ditch the dinosaur. Get your business talking. Now that's elevated. I'm Ushika from FirstNet. Give us a call to find out more.

Why choose FirstNet and YeastarYeastar P-Series Cloud PBX is a full unified communications system that replaces traditional PBX hardware…

Why choose FirstNet and Yeastar. Yeastar p-series cloud PBX for SMB and enterprise

Yeastar P-Series Cloud PBX is a full unified communications system that replaces traditional PBX hardware with a secure, cloud-hosted platform. Businesses gain voice, video, messaging, mobility, call centre features, and analytics, all in a single solution.

Glass cloud inside a transparent cube, representing hosted cloud PBX

Why Yeastar cloud PBX?

  • Cloud PBX hosted in South Africa for low latency and reliability
  • Unified Communications: voice, video, chat, presence, collaboration
  • Softphone and mobile apps for hybrid and remote teams
  • Call queues, IVR, recording, reporting, monitoring
  • Simple migration from legacy PBX systems

Ideal for companies that need

  • A modern cloud PBX to replace outdated telephony hardware
  • Multi-site communication with central management
  • Remote workforce support without complex VPNs
  • Enterprise-grade telephony features at SME pricing

Assessment & Design

Call flows, numbering plans, and integration needs.

Deployment

Staged rollout with coexistence options for complex sites.

Adoption

Training and quick-reference guides for admins and users.

Operations

SLAs for availability and support responsiveness.

Case studiesConsolidated 30+ sites into a single cloud PBX, cutting voice spend by 40%. · Improved client experience…
Two colleagues talking at a desk

National Enterprise

Consolidated 30+ sites into a single cloud PBX, cutting voice spend by 40%.

Hands holding printed charts beside a laptop

Professional services firm

Improved client experience with intelligent call routing and
analytics.

Why choose FirstNet and ZoomZoom Phone brings enterprise-grade cloud telephony into the Zoom ecosystem, while Zoom Contact Centre…

Why choose FirstNet and Zoom. Zoom Phone & Zoom Contact Centre, cloud telephony for modern workforces

Zoom Phone brings enterprise-grade cloud telephony into the Zoom ecosystem, while Zoom Contact Centre provides an omnichannel platform for sales, support, and service operations.

Zoom Phone

  • Cloud telephony integrated into Zoom Meetings and Chat
  • Call transfer, auto attendants, voicemail, recordings
  • Support desk phones, softphones, and mobile
  • Simple rollout for distributed and remote teams

Zoom Contact Centre

A digital-first contact centre with voice and omnichannel support.

Core Features:

  • Intelligent call routing and interactive workflow
  • Real-time analytics, dashboards, and quality monitoring
  • Agent and supervisor tools in a unified interface
  • Scalable cloud infrastructure with no hardware required

When Zoom is the right choice

  • Organisations already using Zoom Meetings
  • Businesses needed rapid deployment across teams
  • Contact centres moving to cloud-based operations
  • Multi-channel service environments
Why choose FirstNet and MicrosoftTurn Microsoft Teams into a fully functional business phone system with FirstNet’s Operator Connect and…

Why choose FirstNet and Microsoft. Microsoft Teams calling, Operator Connect & Direct Routing in South Africa

Turn Microsoft Teams into a fully functional business phone system with FirstNet’s Operator Connect and Direct Routing services. Employees can make and receive external PSTN calls directly inside Microsoft Teams on any device.

Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams

Operator Connect provides PSTN calling inside Teams with simplified provisioning and no infrastructure to manage.

Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams

Direct Routing offers full control for organisations with complex telephony requirements.

Why businesses choose Teams calling

  • Use Teams as a single communication platform
  • Reduce licensing and maintenance compared to standalone PBXs
  • Enable remote and hybrid work with unified calling
  • South African numbers and porting supported

We’ve got every call covered. Choose us as your long-term partner.

FAQs

Questions,
answered.

Straight answers from the FirstNet team.

More in the Knowledge Hub →
Does Zoom Phone work in South Africa?

Yes. FirstNet provides voice connectivity and deployment services for Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Centre in South Africa.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Can I migrate from my legacy PBX?

Yes. FirstNet manages number porting, configuration, and phased rollout to minimise disruption.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Will callers get stuck talking to a bot?

No. The AI Receptionist uses natural language rather than keypad menus, and hands complex or sensitive calls to a human agent in Linkus. The agent sees the transcript and summary, so callers do not repeat themselves.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Does the AI Receptionist replace our receptionist?

It is designed as the 24/7 layer behind your front desk. Use it for after-hours, overflow, holiday cover and high-volume routing, while your receptionist handles the relationship calls.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Can the AI Receptionist book appointments or update our CRM?

Out of the box it answers, routes, escalates, transcribes and triggers voicemail-to-email or callback flows. Deeper actions such as calendar bookings or CRM updates are scoped per customer during setup.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Is AI Transcription enough for FSCA or POPIA recording?

No. AI Transcription is a productivity tool. Regulated, audit-grade recording with retention and legal hold is provided by FirstNet Compliance Recording.

Can we port our numbers back out if we leave?

Yes. Geographic and non-geographic numbers can be ported in and out, and the service is built on standards-based SIP.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Is the call recording included?

Yes. Call recording, IVR, call queues, standard reporting and Linkus mobile and desktop softphones are part of the core Managed Cloud PBX service.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

What is an AI receptionist?

An AI receptionist is a virtual receptionist that answers calls 24/7 and understands what callers say in natural language. FirstNet AI Receptionist, also called the Digital Receptionist, works out the caller's intent, answers from your own knowledge base and acts on the call: it routes to a department, queue or person, captures a callback or hands over to a human agent. Each call is logged with a transcript and AI summary.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

How many languages does the FirstNet AI Receptionist speak?

FirstNet AI Receptionist supports 34 languages. You can customise the AI voice, including gender, tone and persona, so it sounds like your brand. The languages your callers actually use are confirmed during scoping, which suits businesses with multilingual customers such as logistics, retail and public-sector lines. Intents that are complex or sensitive are escalated to a human agent in the Linkus app.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

How is the AI Receptionist trained on my business?

You train it on your own content: PDFs, documents, website URLs and FAQs. Setup follows a four-step wizard: create the AI Receptionist extension, customise the voice and persona, train it on your knowledge base, then test and publish. A good start is listing the top reasons people call, deciding which intents should always go to a person, and preparing five to ten test scenarios before going live.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

What does AI call transcription do?

FirstNet AI Transcription turns calls into text, both live and after the call, and writes an AI summary of key topics, decisions and action items. It identifies speakers on multi-party calls and transcribes voicemail, and calls are searchable in the Managed Cloud PBX portal. It is a productivity tool for sales coaching, support quality and management review. It does not replace regulated compliance recording.

How are AI Receptionist and AI Transcription minutes billed?

There are two models. On Demand is a once-off bucket of minutes that does not expire monthly and is used until depleted. It suits seasonal, campaign or after-hours-only use and pilots. Monthly Rolling is a monthly minute quota on a 12-month contract that refreshes each month, with unused minutes not rolling over. It suits always-on use. Each add-on can use a different model.

What features does a managed cloud PBX include?

FirstNet Managed Cloud PBX includes extensions, call routing, voicemail, hold music and presence, plus IVR menus, call queues, call recording and standard reporting. Mobile and desktop softphone apps, SIP trunking with local South African termination, number porting, standard support and platform operations are part of the per-user service. Microsoft Teams integration, CRM integrations and contact-centre wallboards are available as add-ons.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Can I use my mobile phone as my office extension?

Yes. The Linkus mobile and desktop apps let you make and receive calls on your business number from anywhere, whether you are in the office, on the road or working from home. Callers see the same office number, and calls can reach you through the same queues and routing as a desk phone. This suits hybrid and distributed teams that no longer want phones tied to a desk.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Can a cloud PBX integrate with our CRM?

Yes. CRM integrations with Halo, HubSpot, Salesforce and similar systems are available as add-ons to FirstNet Managed Cloud PBX, alongside contact-centre reporting and wallboards. With AI Transcription, the call summary can sit alongside the call record for follow-up. Deeper AI Receptionist actions, such as updating CRM records or booking calendar slots, are scoped for each business rather than offered as standard.

Full answer in the Knowledge Hub

Book a Cloud PBX assessment and migration plan tailored to your sites and users.

Your place in the stack

Voice is layer 4 of 5.

Enriched by Sovereign AI Turn call recordings into structured, searchable data on the AI Factory; the recordings never leave South Africa. Explore the AI Factory →

  1. Sovereign AI
  2. Voice
  3. Security
  4. Cloud
  5. Connectivity
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