With POTS lines going away, 2026 is the year plans became filings, notices, and dates. Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen, the largest POTS landline providers in the U.S., are retiring their copper networks. In New Jersey, Verizon has posted a copper retirement notice covering 62 wire centers, with implementation on or after December 10, 2026.
A POTS line (plain old telephone service) is the analog voice service traditionally delivered over copper. For businesses that still fax, this signals the end of analog fax, which depends on a POTS landline.
This guide covers what is changing, where, and how to plan your POTS line replacement.
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Key Takeaways
- Who: Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen are retiring copper landline phone service on different timelines by state and wire center.
- New Jersey: Verizon’s notice (ID 2026-03-A-NJ, September 8, 2026) lists implementation on or after December 10, 2026.
- FCC: The agency pulled Verizon’s nine-state application, including New Jersey, from automatic grant. That is not a final decision.
- Timeline: Under the FCC’s revised rules in FCC 26-19, copper-network retirement may proceed after a minimum 90-day notice period for affected interconnecting carriers, subject to applicable exceptions and requirements.
- What It Means for Fax: Analog fax machines rely on POTS lines, so businesses need a POTS replacement plan before their line is retired.
Why Are Pots Lines Going Away?
Copper phone networks are more than a century old and costly to maintain. They are vulnerable to weather, moisture, and theft, and harder to monitor than digital networks. As customers moved to wireless, fiber, and cable, fewer people used the copper landline phone service, yet carriers were still required to support it.
Regulation followed.
In August 2022, the FCC’s transition under its 2019 USTelecom Forbearance Order ended certain wholesale obligations for large incumbent carriers, including regulated access to legacy copper loops and resale of legacy services. In March 2026, the FCC’s Network and Services Modernization Order streamlined copper-service discontinuance and retirement procedures, including a uniform 31-day automatic grant period for qualifying Section 214 applications and reduced procedural requirements.
New Jersey: What Verizon Filed and What it Means
On September 8, 2026, Verizon New Jersey posted a public notice of copper retirement (ID 2026-03-A-NJ). Verizon intends to retire copper at all remaining locations in 62 wire centers. The affected services rely on older TDM and SS7 technology. Affected locations will have access to other options, such as VoIP from Verizon or a cable company, or fixed or mobile wireless. Verizon may also require customers to migrate well before the implementation date.
Verizon’s nine-state application was due for an automatic grant in late September. The FCC instead said it is not automatically granted, while stressing this is not a final determination. Verizon has told the FCC it will confirm an approved replacement at a customer’s address before moving them off copper, and customers without one stay on copper.
Questions to ask your carrier now:
- Is my address in a covered wire center?
- What replacement applies, and does it support fax and alarms?
- When is my cutover date, and could it come before December 10?
What This Means for Businesses That Fax
The FCC’s order never mentions fax by name, but it makes it easier for carriers to retire the copper network that analog fax depends on.
What Changed
- Faster retirement: Carriers no longer file network change notices with the FCC. They must still post a public notice. It’s best to ask your carrier whether your lines are affected.
- Easier discontinuance: Carriers can get automatic approval in 31 days by certifying that a replacement voice service (VoIP, mobile wireless, or similar) is available. Broadband alone doesn’t qualify.
- No fax guarantee: The requirement that replacements work with legacy devices expired in 2025, and the FCC declined to add protections for modem-based devices, such as alarm dialers. Fax relies on the same tone signaling and can fail over compressed VoIP.
- Limited recourse: Customers can object, but “it doesn’t support fax” is unlikely to carry weight, and state rules that might slow retirements are preempted.
What To Do
- Ask your carrier if your fax lines are scheduled for retirement.
Test Fax over VoIP early, using T.38-capable adapters, error correction, and lower speeds. - Consider switching to a cloud-based fax to avoid the analog dependency.
- Check other devices on those lines, such as alarms, card readers, and payment terminals.
Who is Affected Most by POTS Retirement?
POTS lines still carry critical business and safety functions and will significantly affect:
- Businesses: Fax lines, fire and security alarms, elevator emergency phones, and point-of-sale terminals.
- Healthcare Facilities: Fax for referrals and records, plus emergency call buttons and medical monitoring devices.
- Public Safety and Schools: Dispatch lines, alarms, intercoms, and backup communications.
- Small Businesses and Rural Areas: Locations with limited IT resources or weak cellular and Internet coverage, where replacement options may be harder to find.
What Happens to Your Fax Machine When POTS Retires?
Traditional fax machines were designed to work over conventional analog telephone lines. When a copper POTS landline is retired, businesses usually land on VoIP, cable, fixed wireless, or cellular service built for voice. Fax signals are sensitive to timing and compression in IP networks, so analog fax over a replacement line could result in failed or incomplete transmissions.
Power is another factor. A traditional copper line draws its power from the phone network, so it can keep working during a local power outage. Many replacement services depend on electricity at your location or on battery backup.
How to Replace a POTS Line for Faxing
For businesses and organizations that still need fax, POTS replacement generally means one of three paths:
- Keep the analog machine on a VoIP line through an analog telephone adapter (ATA). This requires compatibility testing and ongoing monitoring.
- Use fax-over-IP (FoIP) equipment, such as a fax gateway, to transmit faxes over an IP network. This may require additional configuration and maintenance.
- Move to cloud fax, which eliminates the need for a dedicated analog fax line or physical fax machine. Teams can send and receive faxes from a computer, phone, or email, depending on the service. Some providers also support number porting, allowing businesses to retain eligible existing fax numbers.
Healthcare teams should look for HIPAA-conscious features such as advanced encryption, access controls, and delivery tracking, keeping in mind that no software alone guarantees compliance.
POTS Landline Replacement Options Compared
Option | Best for | Power and backup | Fax suitability |
VoIP | Everyday business voice | Needs power and internet backup | Analog fax can be inconsistent; test first |
Cellular / fixed wireless | Alarms and backup lines | Depends on signal and battery | Varies; confirm with carrier |
UCaaS | Voice, video, and messaging | Cloud-based; needs internet | Usually paired with a fax service |
Cloud fax | Businesses that need fax, not a line | Internet-based; no analog line | Built for fax; keeps your number |
A 5-Step POTS Migration and Replacement Plan
1. Audit copper-dependent systems
This covers fax, alarms, elevator phones, POS terminals, and medical devices.
2. Check carrier notices
Search and identify your specific wire center and get your timeline in writing.
3. Match each system to a replacement
VoIP for voice, cellular for alarms, and cloud fax for fax.
4. Test before cutover
Include bandwidth, power backup, and a pilot location.
5. Monitor after migration
Check for failed transmissions and delivery issues.
How iFax Helps Businesses Move Off Analog Fax Lines
As a cloud fax platform, iFax lets teams send, receive, and manage faxes online. It works without a POTS landline and offers free porting for eligible fax numbers.
Its AI-powered fax features, together with fax broadcasting, API, and direct app integrations, help your business transition from POTS lines to a streamlined digital workflow that is less dependent on physical phone lines, fax hardware, and manual document handling.
Request a demo to map your current fax lines to a cloud setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are POTS lines going away?
Yes. Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen are retiring copper-based POTS service in phases through 2026 and beyond. Timing varies by state, wire center, and carrier, and each discontinuance involves an FCC process and customer notice.
Is Verizon shutting down copper in New Jersey?
Yes. Verizon has posted a notice to retire copper in 62 New Jersey wire centers, on or after December 10, 2026. The FCC removed the related nine-state application from automatic grant, so it remains under review.
Which copper landline phone service providers are retiring POTS?
The largest are Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen (CenturyLink). Each follows its own schedule, so check your provider’s public notices and ask what replacement applies to your address.
Will my fax machine work on VoIP?
Sometimes, but not reliably. VoIP can distort fax signals, causing failed or incomplete transmissions. An alternative, more reliable option for POTS migration is switching to a cloud fax service, which sends and receives faxes over the Internet and doesn’t require an analog line.
Sources and further reading
- Verizon New Jersey Public Notice of Copper Retirement, ID 2026-03-A-NJ (September 8, 2026)
- Verizon Network Disclosures
- FCC Network and Services
- Modernization Order (FCC 26-19) and ECFS Section 214 filings
- BCN POTS and Copper Retirement Tracker
