There’s been a lot of talk lately about the urgent need to replace POTS services. Is it true? Is traditional analog phone service, POTS, dead? In this post, we cover some of the recent industry changes that are driving this rumor.
A little history is required to understand the current situation.
As part of the Telecom Act of 1996, ILECs were required to provide POTS services to resell. These POTS services were regulated, meaning the ILECs could only charge a certain amount for these lines.
In August 2019, the FCC granted ILECs relief from some of the pricing requirements and eliminated the requirement to provide certain POTS services to CLECs, to take effect July 2022.
Fusion Connect wants to be clear and transparent with our clients about what this ruling means to us and them. POTS service is not being decommissioned in July 2022. We do anticipate the service becoming less relevant as clients choose to move to more cost-effective next-gen services like Hosted Analog Voice Lines, SIP Voice Lines, and NFPA-compliant POTS replacement services. (NFPA stands for National Fire Protection Association.)
Traditional POTS lines can and will still be available for purchase, today and after July 2022. There will likely be price increases for these line types, however, due to the decreased pricing regulation.
Though POTS isn’t dead, it is going to be a less desirable calling service option, especially when compared to the affordable and feature-rich capabilities innate to next-generation voice services.
Fusion Connect is committed to providing future-proof solutions for customers. Let’s talk about voice service options that best meet your business needs. Call .
