Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) has been the bedrock of business communications for decades. These copper-based analog lines have reliably carried critical voice traffic — from office handsets to alarm panels, elevators, fax machines, and more. But increasingly, the writing is on the wall: POTS is being retired.
What’s Driving the Change?
- Regulatory Pressure & Copper Retirement
The FCC and telecom carriers are accelerating the phase-out of legacy copper networks. Major parts of the POTS infrastructure are being decommissioned.
Some carriers have announced that by 2029, they expect to fully sunset copper-based lines.
Moreover, the FCC has shortened the required notice period for retirement: businesses may now only get 90 day warning before analog service is shut down.
- Rising Costs
With aging infrastructure and fewer customers, maintaining copper lines is becoming exceedingly expensive. Some providers are dramatically increasing rates for legacy POTS lines. - Shrinking Availability
For many businesses, POTS simply isn’t an option anymore. For example, AT&T announced that, as of October 15, 2025, it will stop accepting moves, adds, or changes for POTS lines in a large portion of its network. - Legacy Devices Still Depend on It
Despite its decline, POTS isn’t disappearing because it’s obsolete — many mission-critical systems still rely on it. Alarm systems, elevators, entry phones, and fax machines are just a few of the holdouts. - Risk of Service Disruption
If left unaddressed, businesses could be hit with sudden service loss, noncompliance, or skyrocketing bills. Waiting too long to modernize is no longer an option.
Technology Source’s Solution: POTS Replacement Serivces
Technology Source has responded to this shifting environment with several of their providers offering a POTS Replacement solution offerings designed to help enterprises migrate off aging copper lines smoothly. Here’s how it works:
- They support POTS-over-broadband: Using existing internet (e.g., cable) to carry voice services.
- They offer “POTS in a Box” (PIAB): A hardware solution that connects legacy analog devices (alarm panels, fax machines, etc.) to more modern networks, including 4G/LTE or VoIP.
- They provide SIP migration options for clients ready to fully embrace IP-based voice.
With their POTs replacement services, the suppliers also factor in compliance, security, cost, backup protection, lead time — essentially providing a holistic migration plan.
Why the Changes Create Risk — and Opportunity — for Businesses
- Safety systems are exposed: Systems like fire alarms or elevator phones that rely on POTS need a migration path that meets regulatory and building code standards.
- Growing costs: As POTS becomes more expensive, businesses face either ballooning bills—as much as $2400 per line, per month.
- Time pressure: With shortened notice periods and decommissioning timelines, businesses must act proactively rather than waiting for a shutdown notice.
- Complexity: Many companies don’t just need to port voice—they must maintain analog signal compatibility (e.g., DTMF, in-band signaling) for legacy devices.
How Technology Source’s Trusted Advisors Can Help
Here’s where Technology Source plays a crucial role. Think of them as the navigators, guides, and project managers for this transition.
- Strategic Assessment & Planning
- Conduct a copper-line audit: Inventory all existing POTS lines, including what devices and systems depend on them. Often unused lines are discovered to further reduce costs.
- Map risk: Identify which lines support critical systems (alarms, elevators, fax) and prioritize migration.
- Create a roadmap for migration that aligns with carrier sunset timelines, cost-savings goals, and compliance needs.
- Solution Design & Vendor Selection
- Evaluate replacement options: Should you go with POTs-In-a-box-style hardware, POTS-over-broadband, or SIP?
- Design for redundancy: For critical systems, ensure backup (e.g., cellular failover, battery) is built into the design.
- Negotiate with vendors: Our Trusted Advisors can leverage buying power and relationships to get favorable pricing, deployment terms, and SLAs.
- Project Management & Deployment
- Lead the deployment: From ordering equipment to installation, testing, and cutover, a Trusted Advisor can help manage the end-to-end project including any escalations.
- Handle regulatory compliance: Ensure new solutions meet regulatory and safety standards (e.g., e911, NFPA).
- Coordinate with internal teams: Working with facilities, security, IT, and operations to minimize disruption during migration.
- Ongoing Optimization & Monitoring
- Proactive monitoring: Use dashboards and tools to monitor the health of new lines (signal strength, line activity, device status).
- Predictive maintenance: Leveraging data to catch issues before they impact critical systems.
- Quarterly reviews: Make sure the solution continues to meet needs, and re-evaluate as technologies evolve (e.g., more fiber, better wireless).
- Change Management & Training
- Train facility and operations teams on new hardware (e.g., how to reboot a POTs replacement device).
- Educate stakeholders (security, compliance, senior leadership) about risks of not migrating and benefits of modern alternatives.
- Provide “day-after” support: Offering help desk, field service, and escalation paths for any post-cutover issues.
The Bottom Line: Act Now, Modernize Confidently
The phase-out of POTS is no longer a distant threat — it’s here. Rising costs, regulatory shifts, and carrier retirements mean that businesses still relying on copper lines are at risk. But there is a clear path forward.
By partnering with Technology Source’s Trusted Advisors, companies can:
- Avoid disruption and surprise shutoffs
- Maintain critical legacy systems (alarms, elevators, fax) without ripping everything out
- Save money over time by moving to more cost-effective, modern solutions
- Gain visibility, control, and peace of mind via managed, monitored infrastructure
- Review a detailed side-by-side analysis of billing details including surcharges