Risks of waiting to replace POTS lines

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is rapidly approaching its end. In a recent webinar, Clinton Fitch, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Ooma, explained what is happening with the “copper sunset” and why businesses and organizations need to replace POTS lines and update analog infrastructure now.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an order in August 2019 allowing incumbent carriers to stop maintaining POTS lines and removed price regulations. Carriers responded by decommissioning these networks while drastically increasing prices. Based on data from TeleGeography that was shared in the webinar, the number of POTS lines in the U.S. has dropped from 177 million in 2004 to less than 12 million in 2024 – and the number continues to fall.

In short, analog phone infrastructure is being phased out. Waiting to migrate increases your exposure to skyrocketing costs, compliance issues, and dangerous service disruptions. It’s time to act.

Where Are POTS Lines Still in Use?

Many essential and emergency devices still rely on analog lines:

• Fire alarm panels
• Emergency phones in elevators
• Burglar alarms
• Safety phones (blue light phones)
• CCTV surveillance systems
• CO2 sensors for boiler rooms

Non-emergency systems include:

• Fax machines
• Building entry systems
• POS systems
• Landline home phones

Maintaining these devices on outdated infrastructure is no longer viable. Carriers are abandoning support, expertise is vanishing, and reliability is no longer guaranteed. To protect your operations and public safety, you need to replace POTS lines with a modern, cost-effective solution.

The Risks of Waiting

Organizations that continue relying on POTS lines are facing several risks:

1. Exorbitant costs: Some customers have seen monthly charges jump from $40 to over $400—a nearly 800 percent increase.
2. Degraded service: As carriers stop investing in analog, reliability is dropping rapidly.
3. Integration challenges: Analog lines don’t integrate easily with modern digital systems.

Three Options Moving Forward

To avoid these risks becoming reality, customers must act now to avoid last-minute confusion and other consequences. In the webinar, Fitch outlines three paths forward:

1. Do nothing: Stay with POTS lines and risk service outages, regulatory fines, or emergency failures.
2. Rip and replace: Replace all analog-dependent devices—expensive, time-consuming, and often impractical.
3. Modernize with a POTS replacement solution: Choose a smart, scalable platform like Ooma AirDial to emulate POTS lines on a modern network.

Introducing Ooma AirDial

Ooma AirDial is a turnkey, all-in-one POTS line replacement solution designed for simplicity, cost savings, and compliance. With built-in battery backup and remote device management, it keeps your essential systems online—even during power outages.

Remote management lets you monitor device status, battery health, and receive alerts anytime an emergency call is made—all from one centralized dashboard.

Why Many Businesses Are Making the Switch Now

• Reliability: Keep emergency systems online and operational.
• Availability: Support for analog systems is fading fast.
• Cost: Modern systems reduce monthly phone bills significantly.
• Continuity: Avoid last-minute migration bottlenecks.

Simple 4-Step Migration Process

1. Audit your systems: Identify how many POTS lines you have, where they’re located, and which devices are connected.
2. Select the right replacement: Choose a trusted, compliant solution that integrates with your infrastructure—like Ooma AirDial.
3. Install your devices: Use self-install or white-glove services with minimal disruption to your operations.
4. Manage your network: Use Remote Device Management to monitor and configure all your connected devices across multiple locations.

Why Choose Ooma AirDial?

Ooma AirDial is the industry-leading POTS line replacement platform. With more than two million customers, Ooma provides 24/7/365 expert support. AirDial is a proven, reliable choice for businesses that want to stay connected and compliant as POTS lines are decommissioned.

Award-winning and recognized for innovation, Ooma AirDial helps you replace POTS lines without costly infrastructure changes. It’s scalable, secure, and simple to manage—built to keep your business running safely and efficiently.

Don’t Wait to Replace POTS Lines

The copper sunset is already here. Costs are rising and the risk of service failure is growing. Replace POTS lines now with Ooma AirDial and update your POTS line infrastructure before it’s too late.