Copper phone line replacement
Your copper phone lines are being switched off. Replace them before the deadline.
Fire alarms, elevator phones, gate intercoms, faxes and card terminals still run on copper, often called POTS lines. Send us your addresses and we'll check them against AT&T's published retirement notices.
- Fire alarm panelCopper lineCellular line box
- Elevator phoneCopper lineCellular line box
- Gate intercomCopper lineCellular line box
- Alarm keypadCopper lineCellular line box
- Fax machineCopper lineLine replacement box
- Card terminalCopper lineInternet + backup
Same panels and phones on the wall. A small box replaces each copper line.
01In plain English
The copper network is being retired, one area at a time.
POTS lines, the old copper phone lines, carry more than phone calls. Alarm panels, elevator emergency phones, gate intercoms, fax machines and some card terminals dial out over them.
Carriers are moving off copper. Usually they stop selling a copper service to new customers first, then apply to discontinue it in specific areas. AT&T publishes its notices on its CLEC Online site, naming the wire centers and distribution areas affected, and sometimes specific addresses.
When a line is discontinued, whatever depends on it can no longer call out. For a fire alarm panel or an elevator emergency phone, a working line isn’t optional, so the replacement needs to be in place before the carrier’s date, not after.
02What still runs on copper
It's rarely just the phone on the desk.
These are the lines we look for at every site. Each one has a replacement that keeps the equipment working.
Fire alarm panels
Send alarm signals to a monitoring center.
A cellular or internet communicator takes over the line.
Elevator emergency phones
Connect a passenger to help.
A cellular line box keeps the call path working.
Gate and door intercoms
Call a tenant or the office to let someone in.
A line box or a cellular intercom replaces the copper line.
Security alarm panels
Report break-ins to a monitoring company.
A cellular communicator replaces the phone line.
Fax machines
Send and receive faxes, still common in healthcare.
A line box or a cloud fax service replaces the line.
Older card terminals
Dial out to approve payments.
Internet with a backup line, or a line box, replaces the dial-up.
03The dates
Published notices, not guesswork.
There's no single national cutoff. These are the notices and rules we track, each linked to where it was published.
- Date reached
Phone lines
Lumen affiliate Level 3 stops new orders for business voice lines
Covers business lines, PBX trunks, PRI T1s and other voice services in all 50 states and DC. Existing contracts are supported until they expire.
AffectsBusinesses on Lumen (Level 3) voice lines and trunks
Level 3 customer notice, Utah PSC filing(opens in a new tab) - Released
Phone lines
FCC lets carriers stop selling copper-era voice service without asking first
Blanket authority to grandfather legacy voice, lower-speed data and VoIP over copper, after notifying customers. Faster approval to discontinue service follows a federal paperwork review.
AffectsAny business still relying on copper phone lines
FCC 26-19(opens in a new tab) - Date reached
Phone lines
Earliest date AT&T may discontinue landlines in parts of 39 wire centers
Set for automatic FCC approval unless the Commission acted. Covers business and residential landlines (POTS) and AT&T's wireline VoIP in parts of AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KS, KY, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN and TX.
AffectsBusinesses on AT&T landlines in those areas
FCC Public Notice DA 26-724(opens in a new tab)
04How replacement works
Every line, every site, before the date.
01Line audit
A list of every copper line at each location
02Replacement
The right box for each piece of equipment
03Cutover
Switched before the carrier's date
- Ooma
- Granite
- CommandLink
- EPIC iO
- MACH Networks
- Verizon
- AireSpring
- AT&T
Provider names and logos are trademarks of their owners, shown only to identify providers we can quote. No endorsement is implied.
Address check
Check which of your addresses are affected.
Paste your location addresses. We check them against AT&T's published copper retirement notices and reply within one business day. On another carrier? Tell us who bills each line.
- Free, with no obligation.
- We reply within one business day.
- If a line is affected, we explain the replacement options for that site.
What is a POTS line?
POTS stands for plain old telephone service: the traditional copper phone line. Many buildings still use POTS lines for fire alarm panels, elevator emergency phones, gate intercoms, fax machines and older card terminals, not just for phone calls.
How do I know if my lines are affected?
Carriers retire copper area by area rather than on one national date. AT&T publishes its notices naming the wire centers and distribution areas affected, and sometimes specific street addresses. Send us your addresses and we'll check them against those notices. If another carrier bills a line, tell us which one.
What replaces a copper line?
Usually a small box that connects to the cellular network or your internet connection and gives your equipment a normal phone line, so the alarm panel or elevator phone works the way it did. Some equipment is better served by a cellular communicator or a cloud service instead.
Do we have to replace every line at once?
No. We start with the sites and lines that have published dates attached, then plan the rest around your contracts and operating hours.
Who installs the replacement?
The provider you choose installs and bills the new service. We compare the options, handle the paperwork and schedule the switch with you and the provider, and we flag where your alarm monitoring or elevator service company needs to be involved.
What does it cost?
Our help costs you nothing: the provider you choose pays us. The replacement service is billed by the provider and quoted per location, because it depends on the equipment and signal at each site. We don't publish price lists.
Are you a phone company?
No. Wire & Watt is independent. We're not a carrier, and we compare options from many providers rather than selling one company's service.