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Copper Sunset:

Your Guide to POTS Replacement

Greetings!

Plain Old Telephone Service—better known as POTS, or analog phone lines—isn’t just aging. The technology is officially being shown the door. As of September, POTS lines will no longer be serviced by most carriers. The FCC no longer requires providers to offer or support POTS. Carriers are actively decommissioning copper line infrastructure across the United States, meaning if a line goes down, it won’t be repaired - resulting in performance issues and service gaps. In today's modern age, providers would much rather invest in fiber, wireless, and IP-based systems.

Many companies still rely on POTS lines to support critical systems including:

• Fire alarms and security panels
• Elevator and emergency phones
• Fax machines (yes, they still exist) and point-of-sale systems
• HVAC monitoring, gate access and more.

The FCC just cut the copper line (POTS) retirement notice from 180 to 90 days. This means carriers only have to give customers a 90 day heads up before cutting their service. AT&T has already started phasing out POTS this summer, with plans to fully retire the service across the U.S. by 2029. Prices are also rising across all carriers—averaging a 31% annual increase and often times more. 

When the copper goes, so does the functionality of those systems—unless you have a replacement plan. This means alarms may stop working, emergency elevator lines could go silent, and critical business operations may come to a halt. Businesses that wait until the line goes dead will face costly downtime, safety risks, and regulatory headaches.

POTS replacement isn’t always as simple as swapping out a line. After all, many systems were built specifically for analog. Sourcing compliant and reliable, alternatives requires careful planning and expertise.

The good news is that there are modern, reliable solutions that are often more cost effective and with no disruption to your business.

If you’re unsure where you might still be using POTS lines, I’d be happy to help you take a quick inventory and talk through options. Here at CBS Telecom, we are committed to helping in any way we can. Get ahead of any potential issues. Call 877-409-4099 or Email Jack!