The fire panel is not a VoIP seat.
We inventory every analog line, separate life-safety from office voice, then shop replacements across 400+ carriers. Contract in your name. $0 advisory.
Rings Jonathan and the team 24x7.
400+ carriers and platforms, compared.
Inventory first. Then replace.
More: life-safety lines · hosted voice · the process
What is actually happening
AT&T is shutting off its old copper phone service one area at a time, and the FCC has signed off. In parts of Ohio, AT&T can stop that service on or after June 30, 2026. In more of Ohio, it can stop on or after November 15, 2026. Your date depends on which wire center serves your building. City buildings have the same kind of lines. See telecom for Ohio cities, townships and counties.
When the service ends in your area, the line stops working. AT&T's notice points business customers to its own replacement voice service. Your fire panel, elevator phones and alarms still need a connection that meets code, and moving them over is the building owner's job.
A lot of buildings have more of these lines than anyone remembers. Each one is a small charge on the bill, so nobody notices.
Sources: FCC public notice DA 25-667 (July 25, 2025, on or after June 30, 2026) and FCC public notice DA 25-1043 (December 12, 2025, on or after November 15, 2026). Both list Ohio.
What is probably still on POTS in your building
The usual suspects, in rough order of how often we find them.
- Fire alarm panels - the DACT line that calls the central monitoring station on every test and alarm.
- Elevator emergency phones - required by ASME A17.1 to work, wired to the cab, dialing out over copper.
- Burglar and security alarm panels - many older systems do not support IP or cellular backup natively.
- Fax machines - still common in healthcare, legal, and insurance.
- Gate intercoms and access control that dial to authorize entry.
- Modem-based circuits - legacy POS, utility meter dial-back, generator monitoring, HVAC alarm dial-out.
Replacement paths by device type
Code-compliant replacements, and what drives the cost of each. Compare against current quotes for the same building.
| Device | Compliant replacement | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fire alarm panel | Cellular failover, UL864-listed and AHJ-approved | Panel count, panel age, and AHJ inspection |
| Elevator phone | Cellular elevator phone unit, ASME A17.1-compliant | Number of cars and elevator vendor access |
| Security alarm | Cellular communicator on the alarm panel | Panel compatibility and monitoring contract |
| Fax | Cloud fax - e-fax or hosted fax-to-email | Number of fax lines and compliance needs |
| Gate intercom | Cellular intercom with mobile app | Number of gates and wiring at each one |
| Modem-based circuit | Cellular IoT modem, or replace with an IP-based device | What the device is and whether it supports IP |
Three things people assume that an AHJ won't accept
Just move it to VoIP
Does not work for fire panels - most will not pass UL864 over SIP. Elevator phones need battery backup and a supervised line under ASME A17.1. Most security alarm panels require a dedicated supervised line.
The cellular failover we bought last year
Generic cellular modems do not carry the UL 864 (fire) or UL 1610/2610 (burglar alarm) listings, and the AHJ will not sign off. You need device-specific, code-compliant gear from manufacturers like DMP, Telular, or Honeywell.
We have plenty of time
Getting the hardware in and getting the AHJ out to inspect can take weeks. AT&T's next Ohio date is on or after November 15, 2026. If your building is in one of those areas, start listing your lines now.
How the project runs
POTS line audit
Pull your last three months of telecom invoices. We identify every POTS line, what it powers, and which wire center serves it, then cross-reference against the FCC retirement docket to tell you how much time you have.
Per-device replacement plan
A code-compliant replacement spec'd for each device, including AHJ submission documents for fire panels and elevator phones.
Install coordination
Your alarm, elevator, and monitoring vendors supply and install the devices. We don't sell any hardware. We handle the carrier side and keep the dates lined up with your monitoring company and the AHJ.
Test and disconnect
Your vendors test each new path and the AHJ re-inspects where required. Then we file disconnects on the old POTS lines after 30 days of verified operation so the recurring charge stops.
What people ask first.
Can every analog line move to VoIP?
No. Fire panels and some alarms need a path that meets code. We separate those first.
How fast can this move?
Depends on building and carrier construction. We start from your notice date and work backward.
Cost to Buckeye?
$0 advisory. Carriers pay us. Contracts stay in your name.
When does AT&T sunset POTS lines in Ohio?
Can I move my fire panel to VoIP?
What is the install timeline if I start now?
What does POTS replacement cost?
How do I find out which lines I have?
Send the copper letter. We’ll inventory the pairs.
Carriers pay us. You pay the same price you’d get going direct.
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