When a national retail chain reached out to Premier Business Team for a routine telecom review, they expected to find minor inefficiencies. What we uncovered instead was a $18,000-per-month drain on their budget, 127 forgotten analog POTS lines scattered across 84 locations, many of which hadn't been touched in years.
If your organization operates multiple sites, you're likely sitting on a similar pile of wasted spend. Here's what we found, why it happens, and how to stop the bleeding before copper sunset deadlines make the problem worse.
The $18,000 Problem Nobody Knew Existed
The client, a fast-growing franchise operator in the automotive sector, had grown from 12 locations to 84 over eight years through acquisitions and rapid expansion. Each new site came with its own telecom setup, and nobody had ever consolidated or audited the full network.
Our vendor-neutral audit revealed:
- 127 active POTS lines still being billed monthly
- 63 lines connected to nothing (literally unplugged or serving decommissioned equipment)
- 41 lines tied to outdated fax machines that hadn't sent a document in over two years
- 23 lines designated as "backup" for alarm systems that had since been upgraded to cellular
Average cost per line? $142/month. Total monthly waste? Over $18,000.
This wasn't malicious. It was organizational drift. When locations changed hands, upgraded systems, or switched vendors, the old POTS lines just… stayed. Billing kept rolling. Nobody noticed.
Why "Ghost" POTS Lines Are More Common Than You Think
If you're reading this and thinking, "That would never happen to us," consider this: POTS replacement is one of the least-visible line items on a multi-location telecom invoice. Unless you're conducting regular infrastructure audits, here's why forgotten lines accumulate:
1. Acquisition Chaos
When you acquire a new location, you inherit their telecom contracts. The previous owner's alarm line, backup elevator phone, or legacy fax service doesn't announce itself, it just keeps getting paid.
2. Vendor Fragmentation
Multi-location businesses often have a patchwork of providers: AT&T here, Lumen there, Verizon somewhere else. Each sends separate invoices. Nobody's cross-checking for redundancies.
3. Upgrade Oversights
You modernize your phone system to VoIP. Great! But did anyone cancel the old analog lines that used to power your fire panel, entry buzzer, or credit card terminal? Probably not.
4. Copper Sunset Price Hikes
As carriers phase out POTS infrastructure, they're actively raising prices on remaining analog services, sometimes by 50–200%, hoping customers migrate voluntarily. Many businesses don't even notice the increase buried in their bill.
5. The "Just in Case" Mentality
"We might need that line someday." Famous last words. That elevator phone backup line from 2014? Still there. Still costing $95/month. Still unused.
The Real Cost of Doing Nothing
Let's break down what $18,000/month actually means over time:
- 1 year: $216,000 wasted
- 3 years: $648,000 wasted
- 5 years: $1,080,000 wasted
For our client, the waste had been going on for at least four years. That's over $860,000 down the drain, money that could have funded new locations, upgraded infrastructure, or boosted profitability.
And with AT&T planning to fully discontinue most POTS services by 2029, the clock is ticking. If you wait until the last minute, you'll be scrambling to replace critical systems under deadline pressure, often at higher costs and with fewer options.
How the Audit Uncovered the Waste
Premier Business Team's vendor-neutral telecom audit follows a systematic process designed to surface exactly these kinds of inefficiencies. Here's how it worked for the retail chain:
Step 1: Invoice Consolidation
We collected 18 months of telecom invoices from all locations and vendors. This alone revealed billing inconsistencies and duplicate charges.
Step 2: Physical Site Surveys
Our team visited each location to physically trace every line. Where did it terminate? What device was it serving? Was it active?
Step 3: Cross-Reference with Current Systems
We compared the physical infrastructure to the client's current tech stack. Did they still use fax machines? Had alarm systems been upgraded? Were elevator phones compliant with current codes?
Step 4: Cost-Benefit Analysis
For each line, we calculated the monthly cost versus its actual business value. Many "backup" lines were costing more annually than replacing the entire system with a modern alternative.
Step 5: Vendor-Neutral Recommendations
Unlike single-vendor consultants, we presented multiple POTS replacement solutions, VoIP, POTS-in-a-box, LTE transponders, and fiber-based alternatives, based solely on what fit the client's needs and budget.
The Solution: Consolidation, Modernization, and Real Savings
After the audit, we implemented a phased replacement strategy:
- Eliminated 63 disconnected lines immediately (savings: $8,946/month)
- Migrated 41 fax lines to cloud-based eFax services (savings: $4,387/month)
- Upgraded 23 alarm/elevator lines to LTE or fiber-based POTS alternatives (savings: $2,714/month)
Total monthly savings: $16,047
The client kept the necessary services (elevator phones, fire alarms, etc.) fully compliant and operational, but cut their POTS-related spend by 89%. Over five years, that's $962,820 back in their pocket.
Even better? They now have a centralized telecom dashboard that tracks every line across every location in real time. No more surprises.
Your Next Steps: Don't Wait for Copper Sunset
If your organization operates multiple locations, retail, healthcare, property management, automotive, hospitality, you almost certainly have hidden POTS waste. Here's what to do:
- Request a full telecom audit. Get every invoice from every vendor for the last 12–18 months.
- Physically verify every line. Don't trust the invoice. Walk the sites.
- Identify replacement candidates. Which lines can be eliminated? Which need modern alternatives?
- Act before deadlines hit. Copper sunset is coming. Proactive migration saves money. Reactive scrambling costs it.
Premier Business Team specializes in vendor-neutral telecom consulting for multi-location businesses. We don't sell one solution, we find the right mix of providers and technologies to maximize your cost savings and operational efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a POTS line?
POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) is a traditional analog phone line running over copper infrastructure. These lines are being phased out by major carriers as they transition to fiber and IP-based networks.
Why are POTS lines so expensive now?
As carriers retire copper infrastructure, maintenance costs rise while customer bases shrink. To push migration, many providers have increased POTS pricing by 50–200% in recent years.
Can I just cancel all my POTS lines?
Not always. Some lines serve critical safety systems like elevators, fire alarms, or entry buzzers that require specific compliance certifications. You'll need compliant alternatives in place first.
What are the best POTS replacement options for 2026?
Modern alternatives include VoIP systems, POTS-in-a-box devices, LTE transponders, and fiber-based analog emulation. The best choice depends on your use case (elevator, alarm, fax, etc.) and existing infrastructure.
How long does a multi-location telecom audit take?
For most organizations, a comprehensive audit takes 4–8 weeks, depending on the number of locations and invoice complexity. The ROI typically shows up in the first month of post-audit savings.
Will switching away from POTS affect my elevator or fire alarm compliance?
No: if done correctly. Modern POTS replacement solutions are designed to meet NFPA 72 and ASME A17.1 compliance standards. Premier Business Team ensures all replacements maintain full regulatory compliance.
Stop the Waste. Start Saving Today.
You wouldn't let $18,000 walk out the door every month in cash. So why let it drain away on unused phone lines?
If you operate multiple locations and haven't audited your telecom infrastructure in the last 12 months, you're almost certainly overpaying. The good news? It's fixable: and the savings can be dramatic.
Ready to find your hidden POTS waste? Premier Business Team offers vendor-neutral telecom audits for multi-location businesses nationwide. We'll identify every line, calculate your true costs, and build a modernization roadmap that saves you money while keeping your systems compliant and operational.
Call us today at 360-946-2626 or visit premierbusinessteam.com to schedule your free consultation. Let's uncover those ghost lines before copper sunset turns them into an even bigger problem.
