Busting the 6 biggest myths about POTS replacement

Plain Old Telephone Service - or POTS - is getting more expensive, and you may be looking for an affordable POTS replacement solution to save money. However, you may also have heard some things about POTS replacement that make you hesitant.

Like that POTS lines are never going away or that it's difficult to install. But are these myths true or false? Let's take a look at some of the biggest ones out there and bust them.

POTS lines are never going away.

POTS lines can't go away, right? They're too essential to so many devices and services! Unfortunately, AT&T doesn't agree. The fact is that it's more expensive for Ma Bell and other carriers to maintain POTS lines because their landline phone customers are dwindling, meaning there are fewer people to share the cost of repairs. Back when AT&T was a monopoly, the Federal Communications Commission and the 50 states tightly regulated the cost of POTS lines, but those price controls were lifted by the FCC in August 2022.

Indeed, AT&T mailed its landline customers in California notifying them of a hearing where the company presented plans to discontinue POTS service in the state. The request was denied for now, but the fact remains that AT&T and other carriers do not want to keep POTS lines around.

Eventually, POTS lines will go away. It's when, not if.

True or false? FALSE.

POTS lines are more reliable than digital.

Nothing beats tried-and-true technology! Wired Ethernet over a wireless connection. Vinyl records and laser discs over streaming media. So we don't blame you for thinking analog telephones are more reliable than digital phones. Unfortunately, it's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.

POTS lines just aren't being maintained in the same way they used to, and that means that they're not as dependable and harder to procure when opening a new store, apartment building or branch office. Plus, digital POTS line replacements have gotten much better. They use advanced, fast cellular networks from leading providers.

Due to how small the data requirements for many phone calls are, it's also easier for a solid internet connection to provide a reliable connection for a POTS replacement device. The signal just doesn't need as much bandwidth as something like music or video streaming, so reliability is much easier to achieve with digital.

True or false? FALSE.

POTS replacement solutions are complex to install.

Disruptions can be poisonous to any business, especially when you're talking about the mission critical systems that rely on POTS lines. Fire alarms, security systems and elevator phones are things you need, and having them down or go down because of a complicated process to replace your POTS lines is not appealing.

Lucky for you, installation of a POTS replacement solution doesn't have to be an ordeal. For example, Ooma AirDial® is easy to deploy. Simply attach it to any wall or flat surface. Then connect up to four of your safety systems to each Ooma AirDial unit. You can also configure it to provide an LTE failover for any critical systems. Features like Remote Device Management even make it easy to manage systems when you're not on-site.

True or false? FALSE.

Switching from POTS lines to digital is expensive.

OK, so maybe switching things over isn't procedurally expensive, but surely you have to spend quite a bit of dough on hardware and services to move everything over, right? Wrong.

Switching to a digital POTS replacement line is actually a good value. The reason is because your infrastructure stays the same. No need to rip out and replace any wiring. You don't have to upgrade your existing communications, life safety or alarm systems. (This is appealing, isn't it?)

All you have to do is purchase a POTS replacement device like AirDial. On top of that, you'll save significant money on your monthly phone bills. Overall, switching to POTS lines is actually cheaper than keeping your POTS lines around. Especially since anecdotally Ooma has heard from many customers that their monthly POTS phone bills have gone up to hundreds of dollars per line.

True or false? FALSE.

POTS lines are necessary for emergency system compliance.

But what about compliance with safety regulations? Ooma engineered AirDial with those in mind.

For example, AirDial has achieved California State Fire Marshall approval, and we've maximized compliance by providing a Managed Facilities Voice Network (MVFN) architecture for AirDial. On top of that, we've also achievedUL864, UL2054 and UL62368-1 certification.

Visit our compliance web page for more details and download our two complimentary whitepapers on how Ooma AirDial helps organizations comply with NFPA 72 (fire) and ASME A17.1 (elevator communications) safety codes.

Clearly, digital POTS replacements can get the necessary approvals for compliance, which means that you don't need to stick to an expensive old POTS line to make sure your systems are safe.

True or false? FALSE.

It's easier to build our own solution taking another vendor's ATA, a cellular router and an off-the-shelf call control platform.

You could do this, and it might seem like a solid solution for voice and fax. However, things get a little tricky for specialty devices like burglar and fire alarms.

If something goes wrong, you'll have to troubleshoot with multiple vendors to find a resolution. We've even heard of vendors pointing fingers at each other, resulting in headaches and lengthy periods when your systems are down.

Plus, troubleshooting on your own can sap your resources. Your staff will spend time and energy fixing issues rather than doing anything else. With AirDial, where Ooma owns all pieces of the solution from hardware to software, finding and resolving any hiccups is a much faster process.

Ooma can help you solve your POTS line replacement problems no matter what phase you're in, and once you're up and running, tools like Remote Device Management make it easy to check in on your AirDial devices and safety systems when you're not on site. From installation to maintenance and support, Ooma is the only one you'll need to turn to. There's no one for us to point the finger at, making it an all-in-one solution that's easier for you to reap all the benefits of moving to a wireless network.

True or false? FALSE.

If you're ready to take the leap into POTS replacement, consider Ooma AirDial. Call us at 866-710-6260 to learn more.

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