POTS stands for plain old telephone system. In the world of telecom, it’s about as straightforward as it gets. I’m talking copper wires, hand receivers, big buttons, and all the bells and whistles that come with analog equipment.
You may notice that there aren’t nearly as many around as there used to be. That’s because many companies that used them once upon a time have left them behind moving on to greener pastures, that is to say the cloud.
On top of that, copper lines have been phased out gradually since 2022 and are set to disappear entirely –or worse, become mind mindbogglingly expensive– by the end of this year.
So where does that leave POTS in 2025? While these systems may seem like bygone relics, there’s a way for them to keep holding on. Shockingly enough, the plain old phones are set to outlive the copper they once ran on.
POTS aren’t a part of day-to-day life as they were decades ago, but they can still be found in places such as hospitals and hotel rooms in elevators, alarm systems, fax lines, and fire panels. This means a lot of organizations use POTS as critical technology, often meant to enable communications in an emergency.
Of course, once copper lines go away, POTS as we’ve traditionally understood them are going away as well.
Right now, carrier requirements are changing to facilitate the phasing out of copper lines. That means POTS are now significantly more expensive to maintain, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars per line. On top of that, support is more difficult than ever to come by.
For POTS to survive in 2025, they need to find a way to merge the old with the new.
With the miracle of modern technology, there are ways to emulate analog lines and enable POTS with VoIP architecture. These solutions include POTS over LTE or my personal favorite, “POTS in a Box.”
Combining an analog gateway with a VoIP backhaul, these modern solutions send information that would otherwise travel through copper lines through the internet. Once the gateway—usually a small device like a modem—is set up, it’s as simple as plugging in your elevator phones and fax machines. They won’t know the difference!
A solution like this eliminates the need to “rip and replace.” Any technology that remains useful, no matter how old, can stay in operation. It also makes it easier to comply with safety regulations and building codes, keeping those emergency phones ready for anything.
It’s also much easier to support. Making POTS digital allows for easier remote monitoring and management. Outages get noticed sooner and resolved faster, often without much hassle.
Then there’s the money it saves. While traditional phone bills balloon, POTS in a Box comes at a much more reasonable price, potentially saving its users tens of thousands of dollars.
Does it even make sense to keep POTS?
Keeping POTS in 2025 is on the table, and with a POTS in a Box solution it’s cheaper and easier than one would expect. That said, organizations still have a burning question that needs answering.
Does it even make sense to keep POTS?
Not every organization is going to come to the same answer. In some cases, it does, in others it doesn’t. Let’s go over some of the factors that will determine your organization’s POTS future.
POTS, even in their most analog form, still make sense in locations without broadband or cellular coverage. Otherwise, they’ll mostly be used as a form of backup communications if internet or cellular service were ever unavailable.
Low risk environments with stable services may benefit from POTS in a Box, but it’s often unnecessary. Oftentimes these organizations use legacy devices that aren’t cost-effective to upgrade. If that’s the case, there’s no guarantee POTS in a Box will be cost-effective either (at least for now).
This is about as straightforward as it gets. If your organization is struggling with high costs, poor reliability, and little to no carrier support, it’s time to modernize.
When it’s time for the old-school POTS to go, there are many options to replace it with. The best option, and most likely the end goal for every organization, is a unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform. This includes Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Zoom, and others.
These platforms have spent years developing their voice offerings to match and exceed the functions of traditional phone systems. Within their cloud architecture, they provide auto-attendants, call routing, and a laundry list of other features.
Of course, jumping to a cloud solution is quite a radical change. Hybrid options exist to make that transition easier. SIP trunks and SBCs help analog devices function on platforms like Teams. In fact, a combination of POTS in a Box and UCaaS would create the most efficient hybrid communications environment.
Building such an environment isn’t easy. That’s where Continuant can help.
Continuant has been working with organizations large and small for almost 30 years maintaining legacy communications environments and offering insight and support for major migrations and modern cloud-based solutions.
For most of our history, legacy support for systems from providers like Avaya was our bread and butter. In 2004, we came on to assist Fortune 500 manufacturing giant 3M with its Avaya and Nortel systems, saving them money and reducing downtime across 146 locations until they were ready to modernize.
3M didn’t stay in the past, and neither did we. Today we help organizations connect their legacy devices to modern solutions like Microsoft Teams via Direct Routing, SIP trunking, or POTS in a Box. We also have our own platform called Continuant Connect, which enables easy system integrations, company-wide migrations, and the facilitation of multiple different communication platforms.
POTS isn’t dead just yet. In both their original forms and their Box form, these systems still have a place in modern organizations. That said, it’s important to weigh the costs and risks associated with these systems and make the call if it’s time to modernize.
Whatever choice you make, Continuant can support your environment today, tomorrow, and however many years down the line.
Schedule a free discovery call to see how we can help you protect your POTS and prepare you for the cloud.