FCC Deregulates Copper Phone Lines
The FCC deregulated POTs (Plain Old Telephone service) copper phone lines, allowing carriers to either discontinue them or raise prices substantially.
In light of this deregulation, prices for POTs lines are expected to skyrocket. Many carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, have announced they are sunsetting copper phone lines.
It is important to note that the FCC didn’t mandate the retirement of POTs lines. However, with the deregulation of pricing coupled with incumbent carriers’ plans to retire their copper networks over time, it is expected that traditional copper-based POTs lines will be phased out in favor of next generation services in the near future.
What are POTs Lines?
POTs lines were first created to facilitate voice communication over analog copper cables, and they’ve been the industry standard for over 100 years.
While POTs lines have a history of reliability, they’re also outdated. The FCC is using its ruling to incentivize telecommunication carriers to invest in next generation fiber networks, broadband and wireless technologies, which offer greater bandwidth, and a wider range of communication services.
What services in your business may be affected?
Businesses today use POTs lines for fax, elevator lines, alarm lines, fax, credit card POS and more. There are digital alternatives for these services that have advantages over 100 year old technology. For instance, FoIP (Fax over IP) allows faxing to and from your computer. Credit Card transactions over broadband complete far faster than transactions over copper lines, and alarm companies offer cellular service that mitigates the system being down from an intruder simply cutting the phone line.
What should my business do?
If you’re not sure where to start, AMI can help you understand your options to make the transition to next generation technologies for an improved experience and enhanced capabilities. Call us today!
