For decades, Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) was the backbone of business communications. But copper lines are now becoming an expensive, risky—and soon obsolete—liability. Here’s why it’s time to make the move.
Cost Is Climbing Fast
In 2019, the FCC passed Order 19-72A1, removing pricing restrictions on Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) like AT&T and Frontier. Since then, POTS rates have climbed more than 20% from 2020 to 2025—and it’s about to get worse. Major carriers have announced price hikes of up to 50% in the next year. Staying on copper isn’t just outdated; it’s financially unsustainable.
Risk Is Rising
As of March 25, 2025, the FCC has given ILECs expanded authority to shut down copper-based POTS wire centers with just 90 days’ notice—cut in half from the previous 180 days. That’s barely enough time to identify, plan, and migrate critical lines such as alarms, elevators, and fax services. Waiting puts your operations at serious risk.
Copper’s Days Are Numbered
The nation’s largest carriers are openly phasing out copper. With the high price of copper, aging infrastructure, and shrinking subscriber bases, AT&T has already stated it intends to retire its copper network by 2029. Businesses that delay action will soon face a scramble for alternatives.
Your Next Move: Digital POTS
A modern POTS replacement keeps your critical lines—fire alarms, elevators, fax machines—running without the headaches of copper. TPx Digital POTS offers:
- Predictable Costs: A consistent bill without surprise hikes.
- Built-In Redundancy: Cellular and battery backup to keep you connected even in an outage.
- Certified Reliability: Approved by the New York City Fire Department and the California State Fire Marshal for POTS replacement.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
The copper sunset is coming. With TPx Digital POTS, you can transition now—avoiding rising costs and ensuring your essential services stay connected.
Get in touch to safeguard your business and stay ahead of the inevitable copper shutdown.
