Plain old telephone service (POTS) lines are essential to many homes and businesses. They connect landline phones, fax machines, and traditional credit card processing systems. POTS lines are also reliable for elevator communication systems and fire alarms. They work even when internet connectivity is interrupted.
Flexibility
While POTS may appear outdated in this age of advanced digital and fiber-optic telecommunication, it remains a critical communication service in many areas where more advanced technology isn’t yet available. It provides an easy way for residential and business customers to connect to the telephone network using traditional landline phones. It also provides a dedicated circuit during a call, which guarantees bandwidth.
In the past, human operators were required to perform circuit switching to connect callers, but this process was automated with the introduction of POTS. This allowed businesses to reduce costs and operate more efficiently. Combining POTS lines with other business systems, such as a unified communications solution, is possible.
A landline phone uses a copper twisted pair to transmit analog electrical signals over the network. These signals travel over local, regional, and international switches to connect offices or residences. This allows individuals and organizations to communicate with others around the world.
In addition to basic voice calling, POTS devices can provide DTMF (dialog data modem tones), alarm system, and fax signaling. These features are useful for monitoring facilities. However, the cost of a single hardwired line has doubled or tripled in recent years, pushing many consumers to switch to newer technologies such as cellular and internet-based systems.
Cost-Effectiveness
With the widespread domination of mobile technology and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), traditional copper landlines have declined. However, many devices in your business still require a POTS connection, including fire and alarm panels, fax machines, elevator call boxes, and more.
POTS lines convert analog electrical signals into digital data to communicate over copper twisted pair wires. When someone calls you on a landline, the dial tone you hear results from these electrical variations. The POTS device also supports analog M2M (machine-to-machine) needs by actively monitoring devices and providing critical data to support various applications.
Unfortunately, as the number of POTS line subscribers continues to decline, maintaining this infrastructure becomes more expensive for providers. Because telecommunications companies have to share costs for their POTS network with a smaller user base, their rates are steadily rising.
In addition, cellular data continues to be much cheaper than POTS, making it an easy and low-risk choice for most use cases that require a phone line. That means reassessing your telecom inventory and moving away from POTS to benefit your bottom line.
Reliability
Although it may seem like old technology, POTS lines still play an important role in modern telecommunications, to understand why, it helps to know how these copper lines work.
Before the advent of POTS, people called each other using rotary telephones with wires running from the cradle to the handset. Pressing the button causes an electrical current to travel through these wires, plugging into a central phone company office circuit.
Many businesses have migrated from traditional landlines to modern alternatives as the world evolves. This has been made possible by technological advancements that have improved data and communication capabilities. However, POTS lines are still in use in rural areas that haven’t been able to invest in more advanced telecom infrastructure.
The sunsetting of POTS, therefore, poses a significant challenge for devices that rely on them to communicate with each other and the outside world. Fortunately, UCaaS providers have developed solutions that offer alternatives to traditional landlines. These include cellular options that can be easier to install and activate than POTS lines and offer a high-reliability level. These solutions can also be designed to support multiple failover methods, including dual SIM, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.
Security
While many people have switched to cellular phones, POTS lines are still used for critical applications. They’re especially helpful for businesses that need to comply with local and national regulations. These include fire and alarm systems, OOB management, and elevator phone lines. These devices require a dedicated line to work and cannot risk losing connection for even a short period.
Many companies want to replace their POTS lines with cellular connectivity for these reasons. However, it’s not always as simple as “cutting the cord.” Various factors must be considered when choosing an alternative to POTS, such as compatibility with existing equipment, upfront costs, and monthly rates.
One way to ensure a smooth transition from POTS to cellular is using a wireless solution that supports analog devices. These adapters are also referred to as a POTS in a Box. These solutions are designed to support multiple analog devices and offer cost-effective and reliable cellular connectivity.
While the move away from POTS is happening slowly in residential settings, it’s not quite as rapid in the commercial landscape. The main reason is that life safety monitoring systems continue to rely on POTS connections, even though they are becoming increasingly unreliable.
Arman Ali, respects both business and technology. He enjoys writing about new business and technical developments. He has previously written content for numerous SaaS and IT organizations. He also enjoys reading about emerging technical trends and advances.
