There’s been talk for years about the FCC permitting telecommunications carriers to abandon outdated and degrading copper POTS (plain old telephone service) lines— AKA, fax lines. Per Order 19-72A1 (issued August 2, 2019), carriers are not permitted to maintain this critical part of the communications infrastructure. In fact, they don’t have to make this important element of telecommunications service available to consumers anymore.
With the order going into effect and the services pending termination, we’re expecting two outcomes: a decline in support and an increase in costs from carriers. Keep reading to learn more about the impact of this order and how Exact IT can help your business regulate the cost of fax and security lines in the future.
The Impact of Abandoning POTS
With the regulation expiring in August 2022, carriers are looking to increase rates—and there’s no cap on what they can charge. It’s projected that carriers are looking to rack up costs for existing POTS lines by as much as 75%-150% in an effort to get customers to migrate away from these outdated POTS line infrastructures.
With the FCC ushering in a sort of “end-of-life” scenario when it comes to traditional analog copper POTS line systems, businesses need to prepare for the transition accordingly. Some businesses are being told by their carriers that their current POTS line services will no longer be available after a specific date. We don’t want this to happen to you!
With POTS infrastructure providing emergency communication for many businesses’ mission-critical systems, it must be replaced with as little disruption as possible. At Exact IT Consulting, we can help ease the burden with reliable, cost-effective solutions.
Exact IT’s Solutions
The fact is, POTS technology has shown minimal signs of adaptation over the past 100 years. This means low bandwidth, minimal features, and no mobile capabilities. Even if this dated system has worked for you just fine in the past—an alternative solution is needed for the demands of the future. Here are our solutions to help facilitate your evolution process:
VoIP Phone Upgrades
Our VoIP services allow you to make telephone calls via the internet rather than having to use a regular (analog) phone line. With the help of VoIP, you can connect your analog telephone service to the digital network that handles calls and completely do away with fixed/dedicated lines. Outbound calls are carried out using an analog telephone adapter, and analog signals are then converted to digital ones that are understood by local computer networks and the Internet.
ExactFax POTS-in-a-Box Solution
Our ExactFax POTS-in-a-Box is a secure modern solution that will save your organization money while simultaneously safeguarding your important documents. This solution can replace wireline POTS lines, accommodating transmission of voice, emergency lines, analog data, alarm, FAX, ring-down, and full access to E-911. By making the necessary upgrade from a traditional POTS line to our ExactFax, you can save up to 75% on a line. We’ll set you up with the support you deserve.
For more information on how to proactively upgrade your outdated POTS system, reach out to our professionals today!
