POTS Line Replacement for Businesses in Brownsville & the Rio Grande Valley
POTS replacement means moving the analog copper phone lines still running your fire alarm panels, elevator phones, gates, fax machines and alarm systems onto modern, battery-backed connections before the carrier shuts them off or raises the price again. AIS finds every copper line on your bills, compares replacement options from 400+ suppliers, and manages the cutover, at no cost to you.
What is a POTS line?
POTS stands for "plain old telephone service": the analog phone line delivered over copper wire. Your main office phones may already be on VoIP or a cloud phone system, but copper lines often survive in the background, attached to equipment that nobody thinks about until it fails an inspection.
Why are POTS lines going away?
Carriers have been retiring their copper networks for years. In 2019 the FCC adopted Order 19-72, which removed the requirement for large carriers to offer certain legacy copper services at regulated rates after a transition period that ended in August 2022. Since then, many businesses have seen single analog lines that used to cost $30 to $50 a month jump to several hundred dollars a month.
The shutoffs are now reaching Texas. AT&T's application to discontinue legacy POTS service for about 90,000 customers, in portions of more than 1,000 wire centers across 18 states including Texas, was deemed granted by the FCC on January 12, 2026. It allows discontinuance on or after November 15, 2026. An independent extract of AT&T's wire-center list includes the Port Isabel and Rio Hondo wire centers in the Valley. Only portions of each listed area are affected, so the notice letter from your carrier is what counts. Read our FCC copper sunset guide.
Which lines in your building are still on copper?
These are the lines we find most often:
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Fire alarm panels: many monitoring setups historically used one or two analog lines to call the monitoring center.
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Elevator emergency phones: the emergency button in each cab often dials out over its own line.
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Gate, door and entry phones: call boxes at gates and front doors.
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Security and alarm panels: burglar alarms and some access control systems.
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Fax machines: still common in healthcare, legal, logistics and government work.
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Point-of-sale terminals and ATMs: older card terminals that dial out.
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Backup lines and E911: a lone analog line kept as a backup for emergency calls.
What replaces a POTS line?
There's no single answer. The right replacement depends on what the line powers and what your fire marshal, elevator inspector or alarm monitoring company will accept.
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LTE-based POTS replacement devices: a small box with a cellular connection and battery backup that plugs into the existing panel or phone and keeps it working without copper. These are the usual choice for fire, elevator and alarm lines.
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Cloud voice (UCaaS) or analog adapters: for ordinary voice lines and fax, a cloud phone system or an analog telephone adapter (ATA) usually costs less and adds features.
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Fiber or cable with backup: where internet-based options make sense, paired with LTE failover.
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Carrier wireless home or business phone services: some carriers offer their own LTE voice replacement. AT&T's application points to its LTE-based AT&T Phone for Business – Advanced, with a battery rated for up to 24 hours on standby.
We compare these side by side and confirm any life-safety line meets your local code and inspection requirements before cutover.
How AIS handles a POTS replacement project
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Inventory: send us your phone bills. We match every line labeled business line, measured line or analog trunk to the device it serves.
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Compare: we price replacement options from multiple suppliers for each line type.
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Coordinate: we work with your alarm company, elevator contractor and IT team so nothing goes unmonitored during the switch.
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Cut over and cancel: we schedule the install, test each line, and make sure the old copper line is actually cancelled so you stop paying for it.
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Stay on: if anything goes wrong later, you call us, not a carrier help desk.
POTS replacement checklist
Use this before you call anyone:
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Pull the last 3 months of phone bills for every location
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List every analog line and what it connects to
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Note which lines are life safety (fire, elevator, E911)
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Ask your alarm monitoring company what they accept
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Check for carrier discontinuance letters
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Get side-by-side quotes before the carrier deadline
Serving Brownsville, the Rio Grande Valley and clients nationwide
AIS is based in Brownsville, TX. We handle POTS replacement for businesses, property managers, schools and facilities across Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties, from Brownsville, Harlingen and San Benito to McAllen, Edinburg and Weslaco, as well as multi-site clients nationwide. See our Rio Grande Valley service area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AT&T shutting off copper phone lines in Texas?
Yes, in parts of the state. The FCC deemed AT&T's application granted on January 12, 2026, allowing it to discontinue legacy POTS service in portions of more than 1,000 wire centers across 18 states, including Texas, on or after November 15, 2026. Your carrier's notice letter tells you whether your lines are included.
Do fire alarm and elevator lines have to stay on copper?
No, but the replacement has to meet code and your inspector's and monitoring company's requirements. LTE-based POTS replacement devices with battery backup are commonly used for fire alarm and elevator lines. We confirm the requirements before any cutover.
How much does POTS replacement cost?
It depends on the number and type of lines, but replacing copper often costs less than the rising price of keeping it. AIS's advisory and project management are free to you, and we give you side-by-side quotes so you can compare.
How long does a POTS replacement take?
Small sites are often done in a few weeks once quotes are approved. Life-safety lines take longer because of the coordination with alarm and elevator vendors, so start before your carrier's deadline.
Can I keep my phone numbers?
Usually yes. Most numbers can be ported to a cloud phone system or replacement service. We check portability before you sign anything.