What Is The Copper Sunset & How It Affects Your Business
Table of Contents
The ‘Copper Sunset’ marks the nationwide decline of traditional copper analog phone lines, known as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) lines. For decades, POTS lines connected homes and businesses to the outside world. However, these copper lines are being retired with the rise of internet-based and cellular communication. This shift, driven by industry demand and regulatory change, forces businesses to explore POTS replacement solutions that keep their critical systems running.
What is a POTS Line?
POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service, refers to the analog telephone lines that have been in use since Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone in 1876. These copper-based lines transmit voice calls through physical wiring. For more than a century, this was the primary method for making and receiving phone calls across the globe.
Today, mobile phones, VoIP services, and internet-based communications have taken over, and POTS lines are becoming obsolete. Telecom providers are no longer legally required to invest in copper infrastructure, which encourages customers to switch to modern alternatives.
What Is The Copper Sunset?
The Copper Sunset, as coined by Ooma, refers to the gradual retirement of copper-based telephone infrastructure. Throughout the 1900s and early 2000s, nearly every home and business relied on landlines to communicate. However, the need for copper lines diminished as broadband internet and cellular networks became more reliable and widespread.
In 2019, the FCC issued Forbearance Order 19-72A1, which lifted the requirement for major telecom companies to maintain legacy copper lines. Simply put, this ruling permitted providers to stop servicing, maintaining, and installing traditional POTS lines, shifting the dependence away from copper analog POTS lines.
Now, the Copper Sunset is in full swing. Businesses and residential communities are experiencing reduced support, increased costs, and even full-service discontinuation for their copper phone lines. Maintaining these lines is expensive, and the industry trend is to migrate to digital and cellular POTS replacement options. This shift impacts critical communication infrastructure across nearly every industry.
Who Is Affected By the Copper Sunset?
The Copper Sunset affects anyone still relying on copper phone lines, but the impact is especially severe for businesses and facilities using legacy devices that require constant connectivity. These systems were built with analog lines in mind, and many are still operational today.
Examples of affected equipment include:
These systems cannot afford downtime or connectivity failure, yet many are still operating on copper lines that are being phased out. That’s where POTS replacement service comes into play.
Reasons To Switch Away from Copper Analog POTS Lines
As copper infrastructure continues to become obsolete, the risks of staying on POTS lines grow. Businesses must act now to protect their systems, reduce costs, and ensure uninterrupted service for essential communication devices.
Copper Analog POTS Lines Are Going Away
The FCC’s Forbearance Order 19-72A1 means providers are no longer obligated to support copper lines. Major telecom companies like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are actively retiring these services, and many regions have already seen complete shutdowns. Waiting until your system is disconnected could leave your facility scrambling to find a solution.
Copper Analog POTS Lines Are Becoming More Expensive
As telecom companies push customers toward newer technologies, monthly rates for POTS lines are skyrocketing. You may be paying two to four times as much per line without getting better service (in most cases, service is worse because major telecom providers no longer service these lines). In fact, the cost of maintaining these aging systems is being passed on to the customer.
Quality of Service is Declining
Copper lines are aging, and the infrastructure is no longer a priority for providers. Businesses that continue to use copper analog POTS lines are experiencing more frequent outages, poor call quality, and slower repair response times. If your system relies on POTS lines, it’s more vulnerable than ever to switch to cellular.
Fewer Technicians and Support Resources
Because the industry is moving on, fewer technicians are trained or available to maintain copper systems. Finding parts or scheduling service is becoming more difficult, and repairs can take days instead of hours.
Many systems currently relying on copper lines are life-safety systems that must work reliably, even during power outages. You might think switching from analog to digital is complex, but with Ooma AirDial, upgrading is surprisingly simple. It’s one of the most effective POTS replacement solutions available today.
How Ooma AirDial Can Help
Removing your legacy devices entirely isn’t always feasible – but modernizing their connectivity is. Ooma AirDial is a turnkey POTS in a Box solution that emulates a traditional analog phone line over a secure wireless network. It works with your existing hardware – fire alarms, elevator phones, public safety phones, entry systems, and more – while delivering reliable, cost-effective connectivity. AirDial simplifies POTS replacement while meeting regulatory requirements and providing up to 8 hours of battery backup during outages.
Switch Now With Confidence
You don’t need to wait until your copper line is shut off. AirDial gives you an easy path forward, running on a managed wireless network and supporting your analog devices without disruption.
Reduce Monthly Phone Bills
Why pay triple the price for an outdated service? AirDial provides predictable, low monthly pricing that helps your organization save money without sacrificing reliability.
Keep Your Existing Devices
There’s no need to replace your hardware either. Ooma AirDial connects directly to your legacy systems, saving you thousands in equipment costs.
Remain Compliant
Ooma AirDial is built with compliance in mind. It supports UL 62368-1, NFPA 72 for fire alarms, ASME A17.1B for elevators, and HIPAA requirements for secure communications.
Increase Visibility with Remote Monitoring
Manage multiple sites and devices from a single web dashboard. Get email and SMS alerts if a device goes offline, so you can respond before it becomes a bigger problem.
Easy To Install
You don’t have to be a telecom expert. Ooma AirDial is simple to deploy, and POTS Replacement will work with you to catalog devices and coordinate a smooth transition.
Stop Using Copper Analog Lines and Switch To Cellular with POTS Replacement
The copper sunset is already here, and businesses that wait too long to respond could face disruptions, higher costs, and non-compliant systems. If your organization still relies on POTS lines, now is the time to act.
POTS Replacement makes the transition easy. We provide Ooma AirDial and expert guidance to help you maintain safety, connectivity, and compliance across all your critical systems.
FAQ About The Copper Sunset & Your Business
Copper POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) lines are traditionally insulated with plastic or rubber to protect the copper wiring from environmental damage and interference. However, even with insulation, these lines degrade over time—especially in areas with harsh weather or aging infrastructure—making POTS replacement necessary for consistent service.
A copper POTS line is a traditional telephone line made of copper wiring that carries analog voice signals. These lines have been in use since the late 1800s and were the standard for voice communication throughout the 20th century. As part of the copper sunset, these lines are being phased out in favor of digital and cellular alternatives.
Copper phone lines are physical telephone wires made of copper that transmit analog voice signals. They have been the foundation of landline communication systems for over a century but are now becoming obsolete due to the rise of more advanced technologies. Businesses using these lines are encouraged to consider a POTS replacement before service is fully discontinued.
Yes. POTS lines are actively being discontinued across the U.S. due to the copper sunset. Major telecom providers are no longer required to support or maintain copper infrastructure, and many have already stopped offering new installations or repair services. As a result, customers are being urged to switch to a modern alternative.
The most common alternatives to POTS lines include VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), fiber-optic lines, and cellular-based solutions like Ooma AirDial. These POTS replacement options provide reliable, cost-effective service while supporting legacy systems like alarms, fax machines, and elevator phones.
The future of POTS lines is limited. With the enforcement of FCC Forbearance Order 19-72A1 and the growing costs of maintaining outdated infrastructure, copper lines are being sunsetted. Businesses must prepare for this transition by implementing a POTS replacement to maintain connectivity and regulatory compliance.