How to Replace POTS Lines Without Downtime or High Costs

Need to replace your Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS) phone lines?

Telephones have served as the backbone of communication for personal and business transactions for years, but that time is quickly coming to an end. Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS) are steadily being phased out and replaced with newer, quicker, and more efficient options.

This isn’t just some technological fad: it’s a necessity. Broader adoption of IP and wireless, plus FCC policy changes that facilitate copper line retirement, have driven carriers to wind down POTS support. Many consumers have adopted newer technologies to replace POTS interactions.

Additionally, local phone providers are increasing their costs due to the maintenance of these legacy lines, as they all slowly phase out their support.

But while there are upfront costs and other work to consider, POTS line replacement is undoubtedly an opportunity for any business. It’s a way for you to modernize your communications, cut costs, improve reliability, and become more accessible to your customers as a business — a necessity for success in today’s competitive landscape.

If you’re looking for the best way to replace your POTS line, keep reading. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about replacing POTS lines: why you should do it, the steps to follow, and what comes next for your business.

Why Replace POTS Lines?

Regulatory changes have enabled carriers to retire copper and discontinue legacy services subject to FCC notice/approval, which has accelerated the shift away from POTS, rendering traditional analog services obsolete in the next few years.

Some businesses (particularly large corporations or those catering to specific niches) will keep their legacy lines, but this is primarily because what they gain by continuing to use this type of technology outweighs the drawbacks.

Many companies are founded on a digital-first foundation, with their customers either well-acquainted or familiar with the basics of wireless communications. When you add the increasing costs of maintaining legacy lines like POTS, analog phones aren’t an affordable option for businesses anymore.

Additional factors to consider

• POTS are based on outdated technology that businesses cannot scale efficiently as they grow.
• Many customers have embraced smartphone and social media adoption, which aligns with fewer people relying on traditional landlines.
• POTS lines are vulnerable to the elements like hardware failure, weather, and degradation, making them less resilient the longer they operate.
• Analog phone lines are limited by their hardware-centric nature, and they lack many features that make communication seamless and convenient for both businesses and their customers.
• POTS cannot be easily integrated into the digital features that many businesses offer their customers.

This image from Pew Research Center shows that millennials are leading the adoption of non-POTS devices for communication:

Businesses and organizations today are undergoing a digital transformation. Phasing out analog phone systems and upgrading from POTS lines are necessary parts of modernizing operations, with plenty of benefits for businesses and customers alike.

Common POTS Replacement Solutions

There are four popular options for replacing POTS lines:

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

VoIP uses digital signals to carry communications (like voice calls) over the internet, instead of relying on analog signals or radio waves. VoIP carries calls over IP networks. On a well-managed network with QoS, VoIP offers good quality and modern features; it can be excellent on a good network, but it can degrade with congestion.

VoIP is more cost-efficient than POTS lines, with the addition of modern features like call forwarding, auto attendants, and voicemail-to-email. While it may not be the latest innovation in wireless telecommunications, it is a significant improvement over analog communications.

Cellular Solutions

The number of smartphone users is increasing daily, and with this increase comes a demand for cellular solutions. If you have a cellular phone, you can communicate with other cellular users through Long-Term Evolution (LTE), 4G, and 5G networks.

Cellular solutions can be deployed quickly and can even work in areas without a stable internet connection: an essential consideration if you want your business to reach less-urbanized areas. However, note that traditional POTS lines are line-powered from a central office and can even work during local power outages. In contrast, cellular solutions typically require local power and/or battery backup to maintain service during outages.

Analog Telephone Adapters (ATAs)

ATAs are an essential component for businesses that are still transitioning from legacy lines like POTS to digital-first communications. These adapters connect traditional analog devices, like phones and fax machines, to VoIP networks, allowing them to function and communicate as digital devices.

By bridging the gap for legacy systems, businesses ensure continuity while migrating their communications infrastructure. Cost-effective, versatile, and able to bridge the gap between analog and digital with ease, ATAs can form the core of your business communications as it transitions to a digital-first communications platform.

Cloud-Based Phone Systems

Cloud-based phone systems operate on a unified communications platform that integrates phone, video, messaging, analytics, and AI capabilities, providing call features to any device with an internet connection. Its cloud foundations enable businesses and customers to utilize other cloud services, such as file sharing, which can further enhance their communication capabilities.

Since these systems operate in the cloud, they also have other features like safeguards against data loss and the ability to sync information across devices in real time. You don’t even need to maintain a cloud infrastructure yourself: Many third-party providers offer a comprehensive suite of services that can run your cloud communications for you.

Who Needs POTS Line Replacements?

Everyone can benefit in some way from moving to wireless communications, but some users benefit more than others from the switch:

• Businesses that still rely on landlines for voice, fax, point-of-sale devices, or intercom systems
• Facilities that operate elevators, fire alarms, and emergency phones
• Security and monitoring systems that currently depend on copper lines, such as burglar alarms, gate entry systems, and blue light phones
• Industries like healthcare, education, and government

The convenience, cost, and reliability of non-POTS lines are just too universal for anyone to ignore, especially if consistent communication is central to their activities and work. Modern communication offers plenty of advantages over POTS lines and has further opportunities to grow and improve.

Key Considerations for a Smooth Transition

Moving away from POTS lines can be easy, but there are several considerations to keep in mind if you want to ensure that your transition doesn’t encounter difficulties. Here’s a checklist that you can run through during this process:

Audit your infrastructure

Identifying where your POTS lines are still in use can give you a comprehensive overview of how much infrastructure you need to change. This will help cut costs during the transition process and allow you to form strategic areas that need wireless support the most.

Ensure that the replacement solution offers redundancy and failover

Although service interruptions are less common with non-POTS channels, they can still occur. To account for this eventuality, make sure that your chosen solution has features like LTE backup (or is based on cloud technology) to protect against outages and maintain continuous service.

Evaluate compliance needs

Some regulations are quite strict on what businesses, entities, or organizations can use for wireless communications. For fire alarms, elevators, and other life-saving systems, coordinate with your AHJ and follow NFPA 72 modern codes if applicable.

Prioritize future-proofing solutions

By selecting platforms that can scale as your business grows and can adapt to evolving communication technologies, you can easily stay competitive with other businesses that are also improving their communication channels. One of the more reliable platforms to choose from is a cloud phone system, as they are seeing both increasing adoption rates and further innovations.

Work with an experienced vendor

If you’re looking for a vendor to help with your transition away from POTS lines, choose one that has the solutions you want and the hands-on support you need after your infrastructure has been set up. Experienced vendors not only smooth your transition to wireless communication but also support you in the long-term management of your communication infrastructure.

POTS Line Migration Best Practices

While your experience of migrating away from POTS may depend on your communications infrastructure, there are several practices you should follow when making the switch:

• Conduct a detailed infrastructure audit to document all systems that are currently dependent on POTS lines.
• Ensure that your customers are informed about your switch away from POTS lines so they can still consistently reach your business before, during, and after the transition.
• Match each use case with the most suitable replacement option, whether that’s VoIP for voice, POTS-in-a-box for alarms, or cloud platforms for business communications.
• Plan a phased rollout instead of a full cutover, where possible, to reduce risk by testing replacement solutions before enterprise-wide deployment.
• Create a long-term strategy for adoption if your business is large enough to need significant time to adopt a new digital communication infrastructure.
• Provide training for staff and facilities teams to ensure they understand how to operate, troubleshoot, and maximize the value of the new systems.
• Test and optimize the new infrastructure by validating backup systems, verifying alarm compliance, and ensuring integrations, like fax-to-email, function correctly.
• Make sure that you have a reliable contact or partner with expertise in your chosen wireless solution in case of emergencies, maintenance needs, or upgrades.

Above all else, give yourself enough time to acclimatize to your new communications strategy and infrastructure. Depending on your business type and the customers you serve, it may take some time for communications to be adopted smoothly and day-to-day operations to resume seamlessly.

Choosing Nextiva for Your POTS Line Replacement

Replacing your traditional landlines is all about moving to a modern, reliable, and future-ready platform.

If you need a reliable and experienced partner for that transition, Nextiva is a top-rated communications provider that can help.

Nextiva helps keep critical systems online, with 99.999% uptime, built-in compliance, and scalable plans, while you transition away from your POTS lines. Regardless of your company’s industry, size, or technical know-how, Nextiva can help you upgrade from phones to seamless communications.

Nextiva operates a unified platform that combines VoIP, video, messaging, and CRM tools, giving teams far more than a one-for-one replacement. Additionally, it offers AI-powered features, like call transcription and analytics, plus hands-on migration support and 24/7 customer service.