On March 26, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission unanimously passed an order that further accelerates the retirement of copper POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) landline networks. The order grants carriers broad authority to “grandfather” legacy copper POTS services—meaning their existing customers may be allowed to keep them temporarily, but the carrier will no longer sell them to new customers. Plus, they can be discontinued more quickly when the carrier decides they should be retired. Grandfathering also applies to POTS lines if a customer wants to relocate a line. The carrier can refuse to move the line or provide a new one at the new location.
This is a meaningful shift. Historically, the FCC required carriers to seek approval before shutting down legacy services to ensure communities weren’t left without essential communications. Under the new order, that process is faster and far less restrictive for the carrier. At the same time, carriers are keen to exit copper networks that no longer deliver competitive broadband, are costly to maintain, and are increasingly fragile.
Adding to that pressure, carriers are aggressively using pricing to encourage their customers to move off POTS. Monthly POTS line costs are rising sharply, with double digit percentage increases year over year not uncommon. This pricing trend is changing what was once an affordable utility into an unpredictable and steadily escalating expense. The message is clear: staying on POTS is a bad deal.
The takeaway is simple: if your organization is still using a copper POTS landline, you should move to replace it immediately. “Grandfathered” does not mean safe or permanent—it means temporary. POTS shutdowns are accelerating, notice periods are shrinking, and service outages are becoming more common. Organizations that wait risk outages, compliance gaps, and failures in critical systems that still depend on those lines (such as fire and security alarms, elevator rescue phones, door lock controls, and more).
Replacing POTS requires action now. There are several options. The right choice for you depends on how those lines are used, how critical they are to operations, how long you can stomach rising prices, and how much risk your organization is willing to accept.
Fusion Connect is ideally placed to help guide you through that process. We manage one of the largest active POTS installed bases in the industry and work closely with carriers, customers, partners, and technical advisors as we navigate this transition every day. That experience gives us a clear understanding of what works in the real world—and a modern portfolio that supports every compliant replacement path.
In limited cases, maintaining existing POTS lines for a time may still make sense, particularly when those lines represent a small portion of overall communications spend and don’t support highly critical systems.
It’s similar to keeping an older computer that still functions—but with an important difference: the underlying network is actively being shut down. Even if you take this approach, planning must start now, because POTS decommissioning is no longer theoretical. In many areas, it will become unavoidable within the next one to three years—and often sooner.
When POTS lines are primarily used for voice, SIP trunking is often the simplest option. It works with your existing IP based networks and typically delivers lower monthly costs, greater flexibility, and easier scalability. We can easily move your fax machines to a modern e-Fax service.
SIP transitions usually require a site visit from a technician and coordination with existing network infrastructure. But for voice and calling centric use cases, SIP trunking offers a clean, future ready alternative as POTS is retired.
For non voice and specialized analog applications, PIAB technology is the best fit. A PIAB solution uses a compact on site device that connects to redundant wireless carriers, recreates the specialized analog ports used by fire alarms and safety equipment, and includes a 48-hour backup battery.
This allows continued, code-compliant support for systems such as fire and security alarms, elevator rescue phones, emergency call boxes, access control systems, and analog voice endpoints—without relying on POTS landlines. Like SIP, PIAB deployments typically involve an installation visit, but they preserve compatibility and regulatory conformity while lowering long term costs.
Copper POTS is being retired, and organizations still relying on it need to act now. The decision is no longer whether to replace POTS, but how to do so in a way that makes sense for your environment and reduces risk.
Fusion Connect has helped thousands of organizations navigate this transition with transparency and certainty. We’d welcome the opportunity to help you do the same—and ensure your critical systems remain connected, compliant, and protected as copper networks are phased out.