With costs skyrocketing and technology evolving, replacing POTS lines has moved from a “nice to have” to an imperative. But it would help if you considered several things before making the switch.
Hospitals, universities, and large companies rely on POTS lines to support devices like fax machines, elevator service lines, and fire and security alarm systems.
Reliability
With the advent of mobile devices, VoIP technology, and other advances in communications systems, traditional copper analog phone lines are being phased out. They are expensive to maintain and are vulnerable to weather events and accidents that can cause them to fail. It makes it a good idea to plan for POTS line replacement. Despite this, POTS phone lines have played an essential role in many businesses and industries like healthcare.
Hospitals, for example, often rely on these phones to operate devices such as fire alarms and elevator service lines. Historically, it took a lot of work to build redundancy into these devices, requiring a dedicated line. However, today, digital options like VoIP and cellular technology can allow you to create multiple layers of redundancy in your life safety lines so you can continue to communicate with patients even when the primary line goes down.
Before you move to replace your POTS lines, inventory all the equipment that relies on them. It will help you identify which legacy systems require a POTS line and which can be switched to a digital alternative that is more cost-effective, remote-friendly, and scalable. Then, you can focus on finding the right telecommunications solution for your business. It will ensure that your emergency communication lines are backed with the most reliable technology.
Simplicity
A POTS line uses a pair of copper wires that create a single phone circuit capable of handling only one call at a time. The system is known for its reliability and can power through electrical outages due to its independent power source. The traditional telephone network was used before the widespread adoption of digital technologies.
This network was designed to be a simple, affordable, and reliable solution for the public. The original system worked by having a central operator manually connect callers. The longer the distance between the two callers, the more switches would need to be kept open for the entire conversation.
It added to the overall cost of the call. Then came the VoIP and cellular systems technology, eliminating the need for human operators and reducing call costs. Modern systems can also offer redundancy for devices that formerly required POTS lines to function, like elevator call stations, security alarms, and fax machines.
While this does not mean that the old copper business lines will make a complete disappearance, it does signal that companies are starting to move away from the traditional options in favor of more efficient, remote-friendly, and scalable solutions, such as VoIP phones. As the clock counts down to when POTS lines will be permanently switched off, businesses should begin exploring their options for upgrading to a better system.
Convenience
The way POTS lines work has changed, but they still serve a purpose. Essentially, these copper wires can be run underground or through telephone poles. When you dial your phone number, sound waves travel across those lines to a nearby telco terminal that converts those signals into electrical impulses and a series of automated switches that direct the call to its destination.
These switches listen for tones representing the different types of telephone numbers and decode the signal to determine where you’re calling. It allows for simple and cost-effective long-distance calls and local telephony options like call waiting and voicemail.
However, the fact remains that a POTS network can be expensive to maintain, especially with newer technologies emerging at an ever-increasing pace. For this reason, some companies are preparing to switch from POTS to wireless or unified communications systems.
Some of these systems offer features that weren’t possible on traditional PBX networks, including voicemail to email and mobile trends and active monitoring of business systems, such as fax machines or elevator call boxes.
Additionally, redundancy is available on digital platforms that weren’t feasible with traditional systems, which means your life safety and security equipment can continue to operate even if the main line is down.
Cost
Besides the obvious use of landline telephones, POTS lines are used for other critical tools like elevator call buttons and fire alarms. They transform sound waves into electrical signals and transmit them to a central phone company office or terminal. Automated switches interpret the signals and decide which line to connect them to.
Although organizations still need these devices today, they should be transitioned to digital options to cut costs and save on maintenance. POTS lines are costly for businesses, especially considering State and Federal taxes and surcharges. Many providers have been raising their rates and pushing companies to switch to fiber or wireless connections. It is mainly due to the FCC Forbearance Order 19-72A1 issued in 2019.
Conclusion
As the world continues to migrate toward digital solutions, organizations should execute a detailed inventory review of their POTS to ensure they aren’t paying for services that don’t provide them with value.
A professional telecom consulting firm can drill down into your telecom inventory to give you visibility on vendors, locations, circuit use, and connection status to help you make the best decisions on moving forward with your telecommunications infrastructure.
With this information, you can identify unnecessary POTS lines and replace them with cost-effective alternatives to improve telecommunications functionality while reducing costs.
