End of service for landlines?
In 2010 Telecom companies successfully lobbied the FCC to eliminate regulations that require them to provide landline service.
As of August 2, 2022, The FCC no longer requires telecom companies to provide/sell landline service to small or local telephone companies.
If you have received a letter that your building’s landline service is being retired or will no longer be available, you are not the only one; landline users all over the United States are facing the same issue, and it’s no different for your elevator phone line. Click here to learn more about the Mobile Connect 2 elevator phone service.
FCC Order 19-72 was lobbied for as the cost of maintaining copper wire infrastructure has increased over the years, and telecom companies have grown to see it as a dead technology. So in August of this year, the large phone companies were no longer required to support copper landline service, known as POTS (plain old telephone service).
While larger telecom providers like Verizon and AT&T are moving on from costly copper wire and investing heavily in fiber optic communications, there is still a strong demand for service in elevators and buildings that are only wired for copper service. This has already affected some areas in San Diego, leaving consumers with no copper POTS service.
However, some telecoms are holding onto their copper landline business for the time being and raising prices, industry insiders say that copper phone service will cease to exist by 2025. Another good reason to move on from POTS.
Will my elevator phone line still work without POTS?
No, once the POTS service is eliminated in your area, your elevator emergency phone will no longer work. You will need to acquire service; in California, you can depend on Destra Business Services for reliable emergency elevator phone service with our Mobile Connect 2 cellular gateway.
Elevator phone service with the Mobile Connect 2
While eliminating copper POTS phone service may seem like an inconvenience in the age of cell phones, elevators are still required to provide two-way emergency communications leaving few options for property managers, building superintendents, and others in charge of elevator maintenance.
The Destra Business Services Mobile Connect 2 integrates with all existing elevator telephones and is easy to install. Starting at only $39 per month, it is cheaper than most landline services. The DBS elevator phone service will enable your elevator passengers to call for emergency services from your existing equipment, only requiring the installation of our Mobile Connect 2 elevator phone gateway.
Do you still have questions about what is required of your emergency elevator phone? Click the link below to learn more about the safety requirements of elevator phones.
