POTS Replacement Providers Compared
Ooma AirDial, Granite EPIK, MetTel, Fusion Connect and NHC, POTS in a Box Explained, and How to Choose One Across Many Buildings
Copper lines are ending: AT&T shutoffs can start November 15, 2026 in parts of 18 states. With many buildings, the right provider depends on each site's line types, signal and code sign-off. We run the providers that fit at once and negotiate, at no cost to you.
Match My Lines to a ProviderThis page is for organizations with multiple locations or 20 or more lines: property managers, multi-site retail and restaurant groups, bank and credit union branch networks, school districts, health systems, public agencies, and companies with a few buildings and a few dozen lines. It compares five providers without ranking them, because the right answer changes with the line mix and the buildings. For costs, start with POTS line replacement; for carrier shutoff dates, see the copper retirement tracker.
Sources: FCC, Voice Telephone Services: Status as of June 30, 2025 (business lines); price range from a published 2026 price guide (source: AeroCom, August 2026); lines per device per each provider's published product information, checked October 2026; Broadband Breakfast, January 13, 2026 (AT&T approval and dates).
POTS Replacement Providers Compared: What Each Publishes
| What buyers check | Fusion Connect | Granite (EPIK) | MetTel | NHC | Ooma (AirDial) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | POTS Replacement | EPIK Edge | POTS Transformation | Wireless POTS (WPOTS) | AirDial |
| Analog lines per device | Up to 8 | Up to 8 | Up to 8 | Up to 4 | 4 |
| CellularHow the line reaches the network | Multi-carrier SIM, two antennas, external antenna support | 4G LTE, dual SIMs | LTE/5G, dual SIM, multi-carrier access | Nationwide LTE | LTE, dual micro-SIM, multiple carriers |
| Second pathWired or other route | Wired connection supported | Wi-Fi and broadband when available; failover to PRI | Wired, wireless and Wi-Fi | Ask | LTE and wired Ethernet at the same time |
| Battery backup | Ask | Up to 24 hours standby, 8 hours in use | Up to 48 hours | 8 hours | Ask |
| Monitoring and alerts | Online monitoring portal; 24/7 U.S.-based support | 24/7 monitoring, automatic notifications | MetTel Portal; 24/7/365 monitoring | System monitoring; SMS and email alerts | Web portal; SMS and email alerts |
| Installation | Project manager, site survey and installation | Turnkey managed deployment, nationwide | Nationwide on-site installation | Ask | White glove or self-install |
| Alarm and elevator lines named | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Published price | Ask | Ask | Ask | Ask | Ask |
Source: per the provider's published product information, checked October 2026 (product pages, datasheets, flyers and offer pages). Every value is what the provider states about its own service, not a test or certification by Metro Colo Advisory, and specifications change with models and contracts. "Ask": the provider does not publish the detail, or its published figures differ by document or setup (battery for Fusion Connect and Ooma). "Named" means the provider names alarm and elevator lines among its uses; acceptance on any panel or car rests with the local authority having jurisdiction. Price is set in each provider's proposal. Figures as of October 2026. Free to cite with a link to this page.
Your line list goes on the same day to the providers that fit your line types, your buildings' signal and what your inspectors accept. Once you ask one provider for pricing directly, it usually will not register an advisor on the deal, and you negotiate alone.
Line service, devices, installation, antennas and battery over the full term, for every site, side by side, so you compare what you will pay rather than a per-line number.
Battery and monitoring for each line type, who owns the devices at the end of the term, the price at renewal and a rollout schedule that fits your inspections, in writing before you sign.
The provider you choose pays us, so it costs you nothing. The carrier's own replacement is one option, not the only one. If you have one building and a couple of lines, it may be the simplest answer, and we will say so.
What Is a POTS in a Box?
A POTS in a box is a wall-mounted device that gives the equipment on your copper lines an analog dial tone carried over cellular, wired internet or both, with a battery to keep it running through a power outage. Your fire alarm panel, elevator phone or fax machine plugs into the device as it did into the wall jack, so the equipment usually stays. It is one of four ways to replace a copper line.
Types of POTS Replacement
| Category | What it is | Lines it usually handles | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| POTS in a boxMulti-line appliance | A managed device carrying four to eight analog lines over cellular, and often a wired path, with battery backup and a monitoring portal | Fire alarm, elevator, alarm panel, fax, gate or call box, payment terminal, voice | Buildings with several line types in one place; portfolios that want one device type, one portal and one bill |
| Carrier replacement productsThe incumbent's own service | The carrier's own product, for example AT&T Business Voice, which AT&T describes as a one-box service for voice and utility lines that keeps existing phone and alarm equipment, over broadband with optional wireless failover, or Verizon Business Phone Connect, a wireless adapter for phones, fax machines and credit card readers | Voice, fax and payment terminals first; for life-safety connections Verizon's own page points buyers to connectivity partners | Plain voice and fax lines, small sites, and buildings where the carrier already runs the rest of the service |
| Single-purpose cellular communicatorsOne device per system | A radio installed at one alarm panel or one elevator that sends that system's signals or calls over cellular, sometimes with a second IP path | One fire alarm or burglar alarm panel, or one elevator phone | A single system at a time, usually through the alarm dealer, fire alarm contractor or elevator company. See fire alarm phone line replacement and elevator phone line replacement. |
| Managed POTS as a serviceThe commercial model | The provider owns the devices, monitors them around the clock, swaps failed units and bills per line, usually delivered on a POTS in a box | Every line type, across every site | Portfolios with no technical staff at most sites, and buyers who want one support desk for every building |
Carrier product descriptions per AT&T's and Verizon's published business product pages, checked October 2026.
POTS Replacement Companies: What Each Provider Says It Offers
Each summary uses only what the provider publishes about its own service. Models and offers change, so ask us for current details.
Fusion Connect POTS Replacement
Fusion Connect sells POTS Replacement for alarm, elevator and security lines. It describes an all-in-one, wall-mounted device that supports up to 8 lines, with a multi-carrier SIM, two integrated antennas and support for external antennas, native support for wired connections and an integrated backup battery.
It lists an online monitoring portal and 24/7 monitoring and support from a U.S.-based team, and installation includes a dedicated project manager and a site survey.
Granite EPIK
Granite Telecommunications sells EPIK Edge for fire and security alarms, blue light boxes, elevator voice circuits, fax, meters, SCADA and analog modems. It publishes 4G LTE with dual SIMs, a switch to Wi-Fi and broadband when available, failover to PRI, up to 8 analog lines per device, and a battery of up to 24 hours standby or 8 hours in use.
It lists 24/7 monitoring with automatic notifications for critical alarm and voice circuits, and turnkey managed deployment and installation on a nationwide scale.
MetTel POTS Replacement
MetTel sells POTS Transformation, including a POTS in a box adapter, for fire alarms and security systems, elevators, emergency phones, point of sale devices, fax machines and modems. It publishes up to 8 lines per device, dual SIM LTE/5G with multi-carrier access, wired, wireless and Wi-Fi paths, and up to 48 hours of battery backup with an integrated UPS for external devices.
It lists 24/7/365 monitoring, with device health, outages and reports in the MetTel Portal, and nationwide on-site installation from a pre-cabled, pre-tested kit.
NHC Wireless POTS
NHC sells Wireless POTS, or WPOTS, for security and fire alarm panels, elevator phones, public safety and building entry phones, fax machines and point of sale systems. Its published flyer describes a device on nationwide LTE that supports up to 4 POTS lines, with 8 hours of battery backup, and says the device can also provide LTE failover for VoIP lines.
It lists system monitoring and automatic software updates, with SMS and email alerts for power outages or low battery.
Ooma AirDial
Ooma sells AirDial for fire alarms, elevator phones, gate and door entry systems, pool phones, burglar alarms, public safety phones and blue light safety phones, and its datasheet adds fax machines. Its MultiPath technology sends traffic over LTE and wired Ethernet at the same time, and Ooma says AirDial is certified with T-Mobile, AT&T, UScellular and Verizon.
The datasheet lists four analog ports and dual micro-SIM support, and a web portal shows every unit across locations.
Source: per the provider's published product information, checked October 2026. Descriptions summarize each provider's own statements; they are not tests, endorsements or certifications by Metro Colo Advisory. Each of the five cites codes or listings such as NFPA 72, UL or ASME A17.1 in its own materials; acceptance on each panel or car rests with the authority having jurisdiction.
Ooma AirDial: What It Is and What It Costs
What Is Ooma AirDial?
Ooma AirDial is Ooma's POTS replacement service: a device, phone service and data under one monthly rate, built to keep analog equipment such as fire alarm panels, elevator phones and gate entry systems working after the copper line goes. The device sends traffic over LTE and a wired Ethernet connection at the same time, so a fault on one path does not drop the line, and it can also be set up to give LTE failover to VoIP lines. Ooma's battery figures depend on the setup: its datasheet lists 16 hours of standby on the internal battery and more than 24 hours with an optional external battery, and its product page cites more than 48 hours of battery backup for building and gate entry systems, so ask which figure applies to each line.
Ooma AirDial Cost and Pricing
Ooma does not publish AirDial prices. Its product page describes a customizable package of hardware and software, with hardware rented or bought and billing by business entity or by location, and pricing is quoted. As with any POTS in a box, Ooma AirDial cost comes from the line count, which sets how many devices each building needs, and the line types, which set the battery, antennas and monitoring each device carries.
Ooma AirDial for Fire Alarms and Elevators
Ooma says AirDial was built with the applicable guidelines of UL 864, NFPA 72 and ASME A17.1 in mind; that is the provider's statement about its design. On a specific fire alarm panel, the local authority having jurisdiction, usually the fire marshal, and the monitoring company accept or reject the replacement; on an elevator, the elevator inspector does. The same holds for every provider here. The fire alarm phone line replacement and elevator phone line replacement guides set out what NFPA 72 and ASME A17.1 ask for.
How to Choose a POTS Replacement Provider
There is no best POTS replacement in general, only the best fit for a set of buildings. These six checks decide it, and each is easier to answer with the full line list in hand.
Line types at each site
A fax line, a burglar alarm, a fire alarm and an elevator phone each need different things from the device. Price follows the line type, so a quote without the type of every line is a guess.
Cellular signal inside each building
Fire panel rooms, basements and elevator machine rooms are where signal is weakest. Dual SIMs, multi-carrier access, external antennas and a wired second path are the answers; a signal survey at each site shows which one you need.
The AHJ and the monitoring company
The fire marshal and the elevator inspector accept or reject the replacement, and the central station has to receive the signals. Confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before a portfolio-wide rollout, not after.
Battery against the code
ASME A17.1 asks for at least 4 hours of auxiliary power for elevator emergency communication (ASME A17.1-2019 requirements summary). For fire alarm transmission, NFPA 72 (2013 edition) calls for 24 hours of secondary power on shared premises equipment, or 8 hours only with AHJ acceptance and a risk analysis, as summarized by the North Carolina State Construction Office. Check each device's rating against the line it will carry.
Monitoring across every site
One portal for every device, signal and battery, with alerts that reach the person who can act. For elevators, the line must be verified automatically at least daily, so ask how each provider reports a failed check.
Rollout, term and one bill
Installation capacity across dozens of buildings, scheduling around inspections, the term, who owns the devices when it ends, the renewal price, and one invoice instead of one per site.
MCA calculation: 300 lines × $100, $60 or $40 per line per month. Per-line figures from a published 2026 price guide (source: AeroCom, August 2026), which puts legacy lines with surcharges and fees often over $100 per line per month and POTS over cellular at about $40 to $60. Illustrative only; your invoices and the quotes set the real figures. Figures as of October 2026. Free to cite with a link to this page.
Contract end dates matter too. When AT&T did not renew North Carolina's state contract, which expired December 31, 2025, the sample tariff rates published by North Carolina's state IT department showed a POTS line at $34.42 a month under the contract and $2,460.12 a month at the sample tariff rate. The state notes that the sample rates may not reflect final pricing and exclude surcharges and fees, so they are not a forecast of any other customer's bill. They do show why a portfolio should choose its replacement before its contract ends, and the copper retirement tracker has the carrier dates.
What a POTS Replacement Quote Should Show
Two quotes at the same per-line rate can produce very different totals. Compare these lines across every provider and every site.
| Cost line | How it is usually priced | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Line service | Per line per month | Line type, contract term and total line count across the portfolio |
| Device | Included in the line rate, rented monthly, or bought | Lines per device and how many devices each building needs |
| Installation and site survey | One-time per site, or included | Number of sites, visits per site and after-hours work |
| Antennas and extra visits | Per site, where the signal needs it | Signal in basements, fire panel rooms and elevator machine rooms |
| Battery extensions | Per device, where the line type needs it | What the code and the AHJ require for that line |
| Monitoring and alerts | Included, or per device | Portal access, alert routing and who answers an alert |
| Term and renewal | Fixed for the term, with the term length in writing | The price at renewal and who owns the devices when the term ends |
A device that uses your broadband as its second path sits on your network, so your network team should see it before it ships. See SASE and SD-WAN for branch traffic and managed firewall services for the firewall in front of it.
For organizations with multiple locations or 20 or more lines. Send the site list and what each line runs before you request quotes: every provider that fits prices the same requirement, devices, installation and battery included, and we negotiate before you sign. Contract end dates and carrier notices set the clock, and surveys across many buildings take time. No full inventory yet? A recent phone bill or a list of addresses is enough to start. You'll hear back within 24 hours.
Six Mistakes When Choosing a POTS Replacement Provider
Asking one provider for pricing first
Once a provider has quoted you directly, it usually will not register an advisor on the deal, and you negotiate alone against one number. Send the line list to every provider that fits before anyone prices it.
Pricing lines without their type
A count of 300 lines says little until each is tagged fire alarm, elevator, alarm panel, fax, gate, payment terminal or voice. What each type needs in battery, paths and monitoring drives the price.
Skipping the signal survey
Fire panels and elevator machine rooms sit where cellular signal is weakest. A survey at each site shows where an external antenna, a second carrier or a wired path is needed before the install date, not on it.
Treating a spec sheet as code approval
A provider can design to NFPA 72 or ASME A17.1, but the fire marshal, the elevator inspector and the monitoring company decide on each panel and car, as the fire alarm phone line replacement guide explains.
Signing building by building
Site-by-site contracts leave several providers, staggered end dates and a bill per address. Owners in property management, retail and restaurants, banks and credit unions and schools, hospitals and public buildings get better terms pricing every site together.
Waiting for the carrier's letter
Industry analyses of the FCC's March 2026 order put the gap between a customer notice and disconnection at as little as 90 days (source: vCom, July 2026). That is short for a portfolio that needs surveys, permits and inspections. The copper retirement tracker lists the carrier dates.
How We Place POTS Replacement
Locations, lines per location, what each line runs, a recent invoice, any carrier notices and contract end dates. A spreadsheet, a stack of invoices or a list of addresses is enough to start.
The same requirement goes to the providers whose devices, coverage and installation reach suit your line types and buildings, so quotes compare like for like.
The provider's technical team handles signal, panel and elevator details, battery needs and the questions for your authority having jurisdiction, then installs. We do not install equipment, monitor alarms or sell hardware.
Price per line, devices, installation, term, renewal and rollout schedule, compared on the total for every site. You sign with the provider you choose.
The provider you choose pays us, so it costs you nothing. More on how we work is on our about page.
POTS Replacement Providers: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a POTS in a box?
A POTS in a box is a wall-mounted device that gives analog equipment such as fire alarm panels, elevator phones and fax machines a dial tone over cellular, wired internet or both, with battery backup. The equipment plugs into the device's phone ports, and the provider usually owns, monitors and maintains the device for a monthly fee per line. The devices the providers on this page publish carry four to eight lines each.
Who are the main POTS replacement providers?
Providers that serve multi-site buyers include Fusion Connect, Granite (EPIK), MetTel, NHC and Ooma (AirDial), alongside the carriers' own replacement products from AT&T and Verizon. They differ in lines per device, cellular approach, battery, monitoring and how they install across many sites. The right one depends on your line types, the signal in each building and what your local authority accepts.
What is the best POTS replacement?
There is no single best POTS replacement; the best fit depends on the line types, the cellular signal inside each building, the battery each line needs and what the authority having jurisdiction accepts. A portfolio with many fire alarm and elevator lines weighs battery, dual paths and monitoring most, while one with mostly fax and voice lines weighs price per line. Comparing the providers that fit against the same line list is the reliable way to find it.
What is Ooma AirDial?
Ooma AirDial is Ooma's POTS replacement service: a device, phone service and data under one monthly rate for analog equipment such as fire alarms, elevator phones, gate entry systems and fax machines. Ooma says it sends traffic over LTE and wired Ethernet at the same time, and its datasheet lists four analog ports and dual micro-SIM support. A web portal shows every unit across locations, with SMS and email alerts.
How much does Ooma AirDial cost?
Ooma does not publish AirDial prices; pricing is quoted, with hardware rented or bought and billing by business entity or by location. POTS replacement providers quote per line and per device, so the number of lines and their types drive the price. For planning, a published 2026 price guide puts POTS over cellular at about $40 to $60 per line per month, with life-safety lines at the upper end or above.
Does Ooma AirDial work for fire alarms?
Ooma lists fire alarms among the devices AirDial supports and says it was built with the applicable guidelines of UL 864, NFPA 72 and ASME A17.1 in mind. Whether it is accepted on a specific fire alarm panel is decided by the local authority having jurisdiction, usually the fire marshal, together with the monitoring company. Confirm with both before installing, as with any provider.
What is Granite EPIK?
Granite EPIK is the POTS replacement from Granite Telecommunications, sold as the EPIK Edge device for fire and security alarms, elevator voice circuits, fax, meters, SCADA and modems. Granite publishes 4G LTE with dual SIMs, a switch to Wi-Fi and broadband when available, up to 8 analog lines per device and a battery of up to 24 hours standby. Granite does not publish EPIK pricing, so it is quoted for each portfolio.
Does MetTel offer POTS replacement?
Yes. MetTel sells POTS Transformation, including a POTS in a box adapter that it says handles up to 8 lines, with dual SIM LTE/5G, wired and Wi-Fi paths and up to 48 hours of battery backup. It publishes 24/7/365 monitoring through the MetTel Portal and nationwide on-site installation, and pricing is quoted.
What does Fusion Connect offer for POTS replacement?
Fusion Connect sells POTS Replacement on an all-in-one device it says supports up to 8 lines, with a multi-carrier SIM, support for wired connections, an integrated backup battery and an online monitoring portal. Installation includes a dedicated project manager and a site survey, and support is 24/7 and U.S.-based. Pricing is quoted.
How many lines does a POTS replacement device support?
Four to eight analog lines per device is the published range across the providers on this page. Devices with fewer lines mean more devices in larger buildings, which matters where a provider charges for each device.
Is the carrier's own POTS replacement good enough?
For plain voice and fax lines at a small site, often yes, and it is usually the simplest answer. For fire alarm and elevator lines, check what the product supports; Verizon's own POTS replacement page, for example, points life-safety connections to connectivity partners. For a portfolio, the carrier's product is one option to compare, not the only one.
Why not call a POTS replacement provider directly?
Once you ask a provider for pricing directly, that provider usually will not register an advisor on the deal, and you negotiate alone with one quote. Sending us the line list first puts it in front of the providers that fit at the same time, and we negotiate price and terms before you sign. The provider you choose pays us, so it costs you nothing.
How do we start?
Send us the number of locations, lines per location, what each line runs, a recent invoice, any carrier notice letters and contract end dates. If you do not have a full list, a recent phone bill or a list of addresses is enough to start. You'll hear back within 24 hours. If you have one building and a couple of lines, your carrier's own replacement may be the simplest answer, and we will say so.
Send Us the Line List Before You Request Quotes
Send the number of locations, the lines at each one and what each line runs (fire alarm, elevator, alarm panel, fax, gate or call box, ATM or payment terminal, voice), with a recent invoice, any carrier notice letters and your contract end dates. Don't have a full line list? Send what you have. A recent phone bill or a list of addresses is enough to start.
What happens next: you'll hear back within 24 hours, we line up the providers that fit, and the provider's engineers handle the site surveys. If you have already spoken to one provider, tell us which; we can still run the rest of the market.
Independent of every provider on this page: your line list goes to the ones that fit at the same time. The provider you choose pays us, so it costs you nothing. If one provider already fits everything you run, we will say so.
The POTS guides: POTS line replacement and the copper retirement tracker.
By line type: elevator phone line replacement and fire alarm phone line replacement.
By buyer: property management, retail and restaurants, banks and credit unions and schools, hospitals and public buildings.
The network around it: SASE and SD-WAN, managed firewall services, managed security services and data center connectivity.
