Legacy analog phone lines, the famous analog copper-wire phones or POTS (plain old telephone service) that have been in existence for almost 150 years are finally retiring. This is according to the Federal Communications Commission order (FCC 19-72A1) that has ordered all copper lines to be replaced with fiber or wireless communication by August 2, 2022.
Why Do Businesses Still Use Copper Lines?
Despite the evolution of other technologies, especially on mobile networks and voice-over internal protocol and phone services that have surpassed the need for POTS infrastructure, there are still businesses using POTS. This is why:
- POTS lines have proved reliable over the years because they don’t need an external power source.
- Several legacy devices, including fire alarm panels, public safety phones, elevator phones, fax machines, and some building access systems still require a POTS line to function.
- Many businesses make use of POTS lines—from their infrastructure to their functionality. Embracing the change in technology is challenging because of the high costs associated with incorporating it.
Impact of Copper Wire Retirement
Alternative services like fiber and wireless communication will undoubtedly help various businesses grow and deliver to more clients conveniently. However, there’s a concern about faxing. Suppose you depend on faxing as an individual or as a business; you will likely encounter problems such as incomplete faxes, faxes unable to transmit, and slow transmission rates after switching. This is primarily due to the fact that fax machines do not work well over fiber and wireless connections.
A convenient solution to this concern would be to implement a fax service via the cloud, better known as cloud faxing. This will eliminate fax hardware and analog phone lines because this will make good use of the internet and wireless communication devices. You will enjoy the following benefits when using cloud faxing;
- Improved efficiency because you can communicate from anywhere.
- Improved security of fax communication – cloud faxing is very secure.
- More affordable fax communication because you won’t need to purchase fax hardware.
With cloud faxing, you can send and receive faxes from anywhere across the world using either your smartphone, tablet, or even your laptop.
The deadline to implement these alternative services still remains on August 2, 2022. As the deadline quickly approaches, more businesses and organizations are encouraged to seek these alternative services in order to keep their services operational.
About United Business Systems
United Business Systems specializes in simplifying the complexity and management of office technology solutions for over 7,800 organizations nationwide. Services include Managed Print, Document Management and IT Services. Products include MFPs, Copiers, Printers and Wide Format Printers. UBS’s headquarters is in Fairfield, NJ with branch offices in Moorestown, NJ, Manasquan, NJ and New York.
For the latest industry trends and technology insights visit UBS’ main Blog page.
