You’ve probably heard about copper lines going away, but what does that really mean for your business? If you still depend on traditional phone service, it’s time to get clear on what’s happening and how to stay ahead of it.
The phase-out has been a long time coming. Over the past few years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken steps to fast-track the shift away from aging phone lines.
In 2019, the agency overturned a decades-old precedent that incentivized or required telephony providers to offer and support aging Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) lines. In 2025, the FCC is accelerating the transition from analog copper lines to modern network infrastructure through several orders that streamline procedures and help providers roll out upgraded networks faster. Let’s explore what your business needs to know about the POTS transition so you can respond to the FCC’s orders confidently and appropriately.
What are POTS lines?
For decades, most telephony was conducted through POTS lines, which transmit analog voice signals over copper wires. POTS wires use circuit switching to establish dedicated, exclusive two-way phone connections. They often run over time-division multiplexing (TDM) infrastructure, which is also considered legacy telephony.
Over time, alternative solutions have supplanted POTS telephone lines, such as voice over IP (VoIP) and cloud communications. However, many businesses still rely on POTS landlines for legacy phone systems and serving specialty lines, like security and alarm systems, elevators and point-of-sale (POS) terminals.
What Prompted the FCC to place these orders?
To understand what’s driving the shift away from POTS, you need to look at why the FCC stepped in.
According to the FCC’s 2019 memorandum opinion, TDM technology and copper loops have forced POTS service providers to pour resources into preserving outdated services at the cost of a slower transition to next-generation networks. Moreover, the FCC wrote that regulatory obligations to invest in antiquated POTS infrastructure have divided providers’ focus, hampered innovation and encumbered service delivery.
By waiving unbundling mandates, relaxing resale obligations and streamlining procedures, the FCC aims to transition providers from POTS lines to newer, modern networking systems.
Are there any POTS line updates for 2025?
The FCC is turning a corner with its POTS transition in 2025, accelerating timetables by commissioning several new orders as outlined in an FCC media release, including:
- Enabling providers to use streamlined procedures more often when they apply to discontinue copper lines.
- Allowing providers to retire copper networks, not only in cases where replacement voice services are available on a standalone basis, but in cases where those services are available on a bundled basis.
- Waiving unnecessary requirements that kicked in whenever a provider stopped offering a legacy service to new customers.
- Waiving “costly and excessive” notice requirements in cases where they provide no demonstrable benefit.
Aside from FCC actions, AT&T announced plans in 2025 to phase out copper-based services across its wireline footprint, seeking to discontinue half of its TDM services by 2027 and the other half by 2029. AT&T has already started retirement at 25 percent of its wire centers.
What do these orders mean for businesses still on POTS?
While the FCC is encouraging providers to transition away from POTS services, the timetables and the scope of the transition are fuzzy. Pending further updates from the FCC, here’s how the current orders may impact your business if you’re using POTS line systems for communications and specialty lines:
- Migration – You’re encouraged to migrate away from POTS phone lines, though you’re not forced to. After all, you may still rely on POTS for specialty lines or lack viable alternatives. Over time, however, support will wane, making it harder for your business to maintain POTS solutions, so it’s best to consider migration plans early.
- Grandfathering – If you have existing POTS lines, your service may be “grandfathered,” meaning you can continue to use your service. However, your service provider is no longer required to accept moves, adds and changes (MACs). Eventually, your copper-based service may be completely phased out, removing grandfathering as an option.
- Costs – Even as infrastructure ages and support continues to decline, businesses are paying more than ever for POTS and TDM services. In the wake of recent FCC rule changes, rates have surged, and some organizations are now paying up to $1,000 per POTS line. POTS and analog consolidation may help you keep costs in line, but this strategy won’t remain viable indefinitely.
- Service Reliability – Unfortunately, POTS reliability will decrease as infrastructure degrades and resources for updates are funneled elsewhere. In response, your business should consider POTS replacement solutions like Granite EPIK, which can also accommodate specialty lines for elevators and alarms, etc.
- Compliance and Regulatory Concerns – Although no universal POTS cutoff has been specified, regulatory efforts will likely intensify. Major carriers like AT&T are already planning to phase out copper, moving us closer to industry-wide termination of old telephone lines.
- Strategy – The FCC’s new orders are prompting POTS phone service providers to offer modern alternatives to POTS, giving you access to more advanced, cost-effective networking solutions like VoIP and cloud communications, which can deliver significant savings over POTS because they don’t require dedicated lines and have scalable and bundled pricing.
Planning for POTS Replacement
The most surefire way to weather the transition from POTS and respond to these FCC orders is to steer into the skid and adopt a POTS replacement solution like Granite EPIK. EPIK is a patented, cutting-edge Managed Facilities-based Voice Network (MFVN) service that seamlessly integrates softswitch technology, Ethernet and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and uses Foreign Exchange Station (FXS) to connect analog devices with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Granite EPIK was confirmed as a top POTS replacement after network tests confirmed that the solution exceeds performance benchmarks set by the FCC’s Adequate Replacement Test (ART).
EPIK surpasses typical Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Trunking and wireless networking options by accommodating specialty applications like fire and security alarms, elevator voice circuits, blue light boxes, door and gate access phones and more. Additionally, EPIK includes wireless failover, broadband failover and back-up 4G LTE and complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
- POTS Alternatives
For businesses that can ditch POTS altogether, POTS alternatives can reduce costs, enhance performance and improve functionality. Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications like VoIP, SIP Trunking and emulated Primary Rate Interfaces (ePRIs) can enable voice connectivity and deliver advanced calling features over the internet, leveraging existing hardware. Additionally, locations with limited infrastructure may consider Voice over Cable (VoC) or Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite solutions.
Cloud communications is the step beyond VoIP, delivering future-ready, fully managed communications as a service from a managed services provider (MSP). Cloud-based solutions can streamline operations, support hybrid teams and enable easy scalability. Choose from solutions like Hosted Private Branch Exchange (PBX), Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams.
More on POTS Replacement Solutions From Granite
Hear first-hand from Mike Ferry, Granite’s EPIK product expert, about how EPIK can provide your business with a proven solution for customer life safety lines and other POTS devices as major carriers sunset copper.
