What Is a POTS Line: Meaning & How It Differs from VoIP

Still using a landline in 2025? That’s like printing your emails just to fax them.

Traditional phone lines—aka Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)—once powered every home and business. But today, they’re fading fast. One analyst predicts there will be only about 5% of U.S. landlines remaining by 2030 ¹. Meanwhile, the UK began retiring analog services in 2023 and aims to complete the switch to all-digital by 2025–2027 ².

Why the rush to retire something that “just works”? Because POTS lines are costly to maintain, limited in capability, and incompatible with the cloud-based tools modern businesses rely on.

That’s why the world is upgrading to VoIP—a more flexible, internet-based alternative that integrates seamlessly with CRMs, collaboration platforms, and smart devices, while lowering monthly costs and adding powerful features.

So: What is a POTS line really? Why is it being phased out? And what should your business do next?

Let’s dive in.

Key Takeaways

• POTS lines are analog, copper-based systems that lack modern features and scalability.
• Most businesses are replacing plain old telephone service with VoIP to cut costs and improve performance.
• Alternatives like VoIP and cellular calling offer better flexibility, integrations, and control.
• POTS infrastructure is being phased out globally—upgrading isn’t optional, it’s inevitable.
• Switching to a cloud-based phone system like CloudTalk is fast, scalable, and cost-efficient.

What Is a POTS Line?

POTS, short for Plain Old Telephone Service, is the original analog phone system. It transmits voice over copper wires and forms part of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Though once state-of-the-art, it’s now considered outdated.

A POTS line is a physical connection—typically twisted-pair copper—that carries voice as an analog electrical signal. When you use a POTS phone, your voice is turned into current, which travels through the wires to reach another endpoint.

This analog setup has been the foundation of voice communication since the 1880s. It allowed people to connect across neighborhoods, cities, and eventually countries—long before mobile or internet-based calling was possible.

The term Plain Old Telephone Service was actually coined in the 1980s as a tongue-in-cheek way to describe legacy analog phone lines. It wasn’t an official product name, but the label stuck—especially as VoIP implementation began to emerge.

Today, telephone POTS lines are still used for elevators, fax machines, and alarm systems. But most businesses are transitioning to modern alternatives like setting up a VoIP system, which offer better features at a lower cost.

How Do POTS Lines Work?

A POTS line carries voice as analog electrical signals over copper wires. It connects two phones through a series of switches that keep the line open for the entire call.

When you speak into a POTS phone, your voice is turned into electrical current. That signal travels through a telephone POTS line, passing through local and long-distance switches until it reaches the recipient.

Each call requires a dedicated path. The longer the distance, the more switches must stay open. That’s why analog phone calls once cost more the farther they traveled.

Even today, POTS communication works this way—reliable, but rigid. It doesn’t scale easily and can’t support the digital features modern systems offer.

How POTS Works: 4-Step Breakdown

1. Analog Signaling
   Your voice becomes an analog waveform inside the phone.
2. Transmission
   The waveform travels over copper lines to the network.
3. Dedicated Call Circuits
   Switches stay open to keep the signal flowing end to end.
4. Signal Decoding
   The recipient’s phone converts the signal back into voice.

What Is a POTS Line Used For?

Even as VoIP takes over business communication, POTS lines still serve niche purposes—especially where reliability matters more than flexibility.

Here are a few modern use cases for POTS landline phone service:

• Fax Machines
  Many legacy fax systems still depend on analog POTS lines, particularly in healthcare and law, where physical document transmission remains common.
• Credit Card Terminals
  Older POS devices require a POTS line to process payments. This is still typical in small retail or hospitality businesses using dial-up terminals.
• Elevator Emergency Phones
  POTS telephone lines are often used in lifts where mobile and internet signals are unreliable, ensuring emergency calls always go through.
• Fire Alarms and Security Systems
  Many older alarm systems use POTS communication to send alerts. They’re slowly being upgraded, but still in use across government and industrial buildings.
• Remote Infrastructure Monitoring
  Utilities, pipelines, and other remote assets sometimes use POTS technology for low-bandwidth telemetry and alerts when internet access isn’t available.
• Backup Lines for Redundancy
  Some companies keep a POTS number as a fail-safe in case their internet-based systems go down, ensuring they’re never completely offline.

How to Check if You Have a POTS Telephone Line

Check your building’s phone system. If your phones are plugged directly into wall jacks without going through a router, you’re likely using a POTS landline.

You can also contact your service provider or IT team and ask if your number relies on analog phone lines or digital VoIP routing. In many cases, it’s clearly labeled on the phone invoice or utility box.

Pros and Cons of POTS

POTS lines were once the backbone of business and residential communication. But as digital systems like VoIP take over, it’s worth looking at how POTS technology stacks up today.

Here’s a quick overview of the main benefits and drawbacks:

Pros of POTS

✅ Reliable Voice Quality

Because analog phone lines use a dedicated circuit, call quality is often steady and unaffected by internet issues like jitter or lag.

✅ Doesn’t Depend on Internet

POTS landline systems work independently from your internet connection, which can be a plus in areas with unstable broadband access.

✅ Still Operates During Outages

Since POTS telephone lines are powered through the copper network itself, they continue working during blackouts—making them ideal for emergencies.

✅ Easy to Use

There’s no setup, no apps, no learning curve. For many teams, especially in non-digital industries, this simplicity remains a key benefit.

Cons of POTS

❌ Higher Maintenance Costs

POTS line replacement is expensive because it relies on physical infrastructure. Repairs often require on-site technicians and parts.

❌ Lacks Modern Features

No call recording, no CRM integration, no smart routing. Compared to VoIP, POTS communication feels stuck in time.

❌ Poor Scalability

Scaling means adding more physical lines. That’s slow, costly, and far less flexible than a VoIP-based phone system.

❌ Being Phased Out

Many providers are sunsetting plain old telephone service in favor of IP-based systems. Even the FCC acknowledges the shift toward digital.

Should You Still Use a POTS Line?

Still holding on to your POTS line? It might feel safe, but in today’s competitive environment, that safety could be costing you.

Traditional plain old telephone service may still work, but it can’t scale, adapt, or integrate the way modern systems can. If your competitors are using smart call routing, CRM syncing, or VoIP analytics—and you’re not—you’re falling behind.

POTS systems are also harder and more expensive to maintain. Telecom providers are actively phasing them out. That’s not a prediction—it’s happening right now across the U.S., UK, and beyond.

So, should you keep using POTS? Only if you’re okay missing out on flexibility, automation, and long-term cost savings.

What Alternatives Are There if a POTS Line Doesn’t Suit Your Needs?

If you’re retiring a POTS line, there are a few legitimate alternatives—each with its own strengths depending on your infrastructure and communication needs:

• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
  The most common choice for businesses replacing plain old telephone service. VoIP routes calls over the internet and supports features like CRM integration, call routing, and analytics. Teams transitioning from analog often start with a structured VoIP implementation plan to scale quickly and reduce costs.
• Cellular Calling (Mobile Voice via 4G/5G)
  In areas where wired lines are unavailable or unnecessary, mobile networks can serve as the primary voice channel. Many small businesses today rely solely on cellular voice—especially with mobile-first calling apps that support business features.
• ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
  Once seen as a digital upgrade from POTS, ISDN offers simultaneous voice and data over standard phone lines. While being phased out in many regions, it still exists in legacy setups and some enterprise environments.
• Satellite Calling
  For truly remote operations—mining, maritime, disaster response—satellite phones remain the only option. They bypass both internet and cellular infrastructure entirely but come with higher costs and latency.

A Closer Look at the Differences

• Technology: POTS communication uses analog signals sent over copper lines. VoIP transmits digital packets through the internet—faster, lighter, and easier to manage.
• Setup: Setting up a POTS landline involves physical wiring and hardware. VoIP lets you start with just a laptop, headset, and connection. Desk phones optional.
• Scalability: Scaling a telephone POTS line means installing more physical lines. With VoIP, you can add users or numbers in minutes from a dashboard.
• Features: VoIP platforms include call recording, smart routing, and CRM integration—none of which are possible with POTS technology.
• Reliability: POTS has the edge in power outages since it draws energy from the line itself. VoIP depends on your internet connection and backup systems.
• Cost: Maintaining analog phone systems costs more long term—especially for teams that grow or operate across locations. VoIP reduces costs per line and call.

Still Using POTS? It’s Time to Switch to VoIP with CloudTalk

Your phone system shouldn’t belong in a museum.

POTS lines had a good run—but they weren’t built for remote teams, cloud integrations, or global scaling. VoIP is faster, smarter, and designed for the way modern businesses communicate.

With CloudTalk, you can switch from analog to advanced in minutes. No tangled wires. No hardware headaches. Just crystal-clear calls, better workflows, and full control over every conversation.

Outdated tech slows your team down. Let CloudTalk speed you up.

Sources: 

1. Mobility and the Death of the Landline
2. UK transition from analogue to digital landlines