FCC 2025 Rule Changes Add Urgency to POTS Replacement

On March 20th, 2025, the FCC published several changes to the rules around how the carriers that operate the American analog "Plain-Old Telephone Service" (POTS) network are regulated. While it has been on the decline for over a decade, with these changes to the FCC regulations, the POTS network took a big step closer to retirement. The new FCC rules give telecommunications companies more flexibility to shut down their analog landline networks, affecting millions of business phone lines nationwide.

Shorter Shutdown Notice Periods Add Urgency

The FCC is cutting the notice period that providers must give businesses before their lines are retired by half—from 180 days to 90 days. This means businesses will have only three months to replace their analog POTS lines after receiving a shutdown notice from their provider. This change makes it more important than ever for companies to begin their POTS replacement projects now – so they can make the changes on a schedule that limits disruption to their business and maximizes cost savings.

“…businesses will have only three months to replace their analog POTS lines after receiving a shutdown notice from their provider.”

Impact on Safety and Emergency Systems

While these changes affect many scenarios related to POTS replacement, they have particular relevance for critical safety and security systems that use analog copper POTS lines for connectivity. Common examples include:

• Fire alarm panels
• Emergency elevator phones
• Security and alarm systems
• Door access control
• Medical alert phones
• POS devices that require an analog connection

These systems have historically depended on analog POTS lines because these networks supply power to the phone, provided the lines to the building are undamaged. However, technology has come a long way since these devices entered service. Today's modern POTS replacement devices are designed with advanced features that make them a better choice. These features include:

• Multi-day battery backup systems
• Automatic failover to different connectivity providers
• Wired and wireless connectivity (5G and LTE) options
• 24/7 remote monitoring
• Full support for VoIP

The Price of POTS Lines is Skyrocketing

In 2019, the FCC issued Order 19-72, which relaxed the rules for operators of analog POTS networks. This regulatory change led to a significant increase in the cost of POTS telephone services, with prices increasing 31.4% annually on average (source: bls.gov).

While analog POTS lines are necessary, especially for critical systems like fire alarms and security systems, paying hundreds of dollars monthly is not. At Fusion Connect, our POTS replacement solution can reduce monthly rates by 75% or more. The more facilities you run, the more these savings will add up. Due to these high prices, POTS replacement saves most businesses money very quickly.

A Modern POTS Replacement Solution from Fusion Connect

Fusion Connect offers a comprehensive POTS replacement solution designed for use with critical safety and security systems that are currently using analog copper lines. This solution includes an all-in-one device, data plan, installation project management, and ongoing monitoring.

The device features an integrated 48-hour battery designed to meet Fire Alarm and NFPA 72 requirements. It provides redundant connectivity using dual wireless SIM cards and four wireless antennas. It also has native support for wired WAN connections for use with VoIP, if needed.

When migrating analog POTS lines to Fusion Connect using our POTS replacement solution, customers are assigned a dedicated project manager who manages the end-to-end migration process, starting with a site survey and then followed by installation and activation of the POTS replacement device. After installation, a fully US-based team provides ongoing support and monitoring 24/7.

It’s time to move

Clearly, Plain-Old-Telephone-Service is on the way out. Don't wait for your 90-day notice—start planning your analog POTS line replacement project today. Contact Fusion Connect to learn how we can help your business smoothly transition to modern communication technology while maintaining the reliability you need for your critical systems.