Introduction

You may already be aware that Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) is being phased out. In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated the discontinuation of copper POTS lines due to various challenges and disadvantages. Telecom providers like AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen have announced plans to discontinue services in certain areas, while the costs associated with existing POTS lines are rising rapidly.

Applications Still Relying on POTS

Despite the decline of POTS, many businesses and applications still depend on these traditional lines. Common use cases include:

• Fax Machines
• Point of Sale (POS) Terminals
• Vending Machines
• ATMs
• Gate Entry Services
• Paging Systems

For instance, legacy elevator systems, security alarms, and fire alarms typically rely on POTS lines for stable and reliable connections. The FCC's directive puts these service providers in a tough spot: by 2024, POTS lines will no longer be viable, making it impossible to maintain outdated technology.

When Should We Replace POTS?

POTS replacement is a trend, but POTS is not going to magically disappear in 2024. According to the FCC order, AT&T announced its plan to decommission 50% of its legacy copper network by 2025, Other incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) like Verizon, Lumen are sunsetting services geographically.

There is no doubt about the retirement of POTS lines. What is uncertain now is when the POTS line in your region to be unable to work, or you will be enduring increasingly high costs and worrying about business sustainability. Make your decision for upgrade earlier, you will gain more time and benefit ahead than your competitors. Don’t make a hurry decision at last minute, you got Vola specialists here to bring you professional proposal.

Embracing Next-Generation Communication Technology: VoIP

Now is the time to embrace next-generation communication technology—Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP allows you to make phone calls using your broadband, Wi-Fi, or cellular connection without needing to replace your existing terminal devices. Many successful implementations show that VoIP technology offers flexible, cost-effective, and reliable communication solutions.

Challenges in Transitioning to VoIP

When converting from POTS to VoIP, businesses need to address several key challenges:

• Network Communication Issues: Resolving congestion, latency, and network failures.
• Power Backup Solutions: Ensuring continuity during power outages.
• Protocol Compatibility: Fax machines, modems, and alarm panels may not work well with current VoIP networks due to potential packet loss or voice compression distortion.

Compared to PSTN, IP networks can be less stable. The complexities of modern networks can lead to jitter, delays, and packet loss. While new network protocols have mechanisms to address these issues, POTS media is not suited for such environments.

Vola Networks’ POTS Packages

Vola Networks, a US-based equipment provider, specializes in hardware solutions for POTS applications. By leveraging reliable hardware and POTS media SBC, Vola addresses challenges in Alarms, Elevator phones, FAX, and Modem communications.

Advantages of Vola's POTS Media SBC

Vola POTS Media SBC provides a variety of strategies to deal with Network Jitter, Network Latency, and Packet loss between the access network to the core network. With Vola SBC, we fix the frustrating issues between the POTS terminal and cloud server, hence enhancing the service quality of your POTS replacement solution. This adaptive capability in a complex network environment can greatly guarantee the connection from the user’s alarm panel to the call station, or daily data transmission from a modem in a remote area to your client’s office.

Vola is an enabler for UC providers to seamlessly support POTS services with our unique combination of hardware and POTS Media SBC. We offer innovative CPE with a battery and 4G for internet backup, an SBC supporting V.150/V.152/FEC/T.38/T.37/C-ID, and the VolaCloud for managing all devices.

Conclusion

The phasing out of POTS lines is inevitable, and businesses should take action sooner rather than later to transition to modern communication technologies like VoIP. Vola Networks provides a reliable pathway for businesses during this transition, ensuring communication stability and reliability throughout the process.