Dialing a phone number turns into an electrical signal that travels through copper wires to the recipient.
POTS lines help reduce call costs by placing switches at centralized points in the network.
But as technology ages, they’re becoming increasingly dated and inefficient. Now, the FCC requires them to be replaced with newer technology like VoIP.
Cost
POTS lines are analog landline services that use copper wires to connect your telephone to the phone company. They offer power, a ringing signal when you make a call and connectivity to the phone company’s central switching system.
The cost of POTS lines has increased dramatically. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it has risen more than 20 percent from the beginning of 2019 through May 2022.
Aside from rising costs, POTS lines are becoming more and more challenging to maintain. The copper lines that run these systems require frequent maintenance, and replacement parts are dwindling in supply.
Fortunately, new technologies like VoIP allow businesses to replace old POTS lines with digital solutions at a fraction of the cost. These new digital services offer a range of more convenient and user-friendly features than their analog counterparts.
Convenience
You probably already know that POTS lines have gone out of style – they are increasingly replaced by modern digital alternatives like VoIP. However, many devices still rely on these old-school copper lines for communication, especially in business and commercial settings.
The way these lines work is simple. When you dial a number on your handset, the POTS telephone line converts audio into electrical signals, then directs them to a drop cable connected to a separate terminal. Automated switches within the main phone company office decode these signals, determining their final destination.
Because these circuits stay open throughout transmission, they don’t have to be manually switched, reducing the time for a call to connect. Additionally, calls made through these systems tend to be more consistent than those using wireless and VoIP technology.
Long-distance
POTS lines, or plain old telephone service, are the standard form of telecommunications for businesses and individuals worldwide. It is a voice grade system that dates back to the late 19th century. Still, it needs modern technology capabilities and flexibility like ISDN, cell phones, and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
The phone handset converts calls into electrical signals in this analog system. These signals travel through copper wires in a network and are routed through switches until they reach their destination.
These switches automatically direct the call to a local, national, or international location. This made the process less costly and reduced the need for human operators. It is also more scalable, allowing organizations to add and remove lines as needed.
Maintenance
Plain Old Telephone Service, or POTS, lines are the oldest and most standard telephone service. They use copper wires to carry audio and electrical signals routed to a central phone company office.
Historically, the voice itself couldn’t move through the line because it had to be converted into electrical signals to travel along. Today’s digital technology makes this a problem, so businesses need to replace their POTS lines with something more modern.
The copper wiring in a POTS line is expensive to maintain, which means they need to be repaired frequently and upgraded if they’re going to continue working effectively. This cost can add up quickly.
This is one of the main reasons why the FCC has mandated that companies should start replacing their POTS lines with digital options like VoIP, which offer several benefits. For businesses, these replacements can include improved connectivity, higher security, and active monitoring of endpoints.
