Updated October 27, 2026Advertiser Disclosure
The short answer
Business landline phone service is still sold in 2026, but most of it now runs over fiber, cable or wireless instead of the old copper wire. AT&T Phone for Business is the best overall pick, with up to six lines for $15 a line when you add new AT&T Business Fiber. Verizon Business still sells a traditional copper line, Preferred Voice, for $69 a month, and its internet line, Business Digital Voice, costs $35. Comcast Business and Spectrum Business price their voice lines by address. For alarm panels, elevator phones and fax machines that must keep working as copper is retired, Ooma AirDial is a box built to replace those lines, and US Mobile sells a single wireless line for $9.99 a month on an annual plan.
Prices checked October 27, 2026 on each provider’s own website.
Start with how business landline phone service works today, why copper lines are being switched off, and which devices still depend on one.
Why copper is retiringSee what to set up first, which lines a new building needs, and what to have ready before you order.
Set up new linesOne table with the ranking, best fit, type of line, starting price and customer rating for every option.
The 5-minute briefBusiness landline phone service is the fixed phone line that rings at your front desk, carries your fire alarm signal to the monitoring center, lets a trapped passenger call for help from an elevator, and keeps the card machine and fax working. For decades that line was a copper pair from the phone company, often called POTS, short for plain old telephone service. Today the same phone number and wall jack usually run over fiber, cable or a cellular connection, and the biggest carriers are switching copper off town by town. This guide compares seven ways to get business landline phone service in 2026, with prices checked on each provider’s own website, and shows what to do with the alarm, elevator and fax lines that cannot simply move to an internet phone.
The 5-minute brief on business landline phone service
For business landline phone service, AT&T Phone for Business is the best overall pick where AT&T Business Fiber reaches you, and Verizon Business is the only one here that still publishes a price for a traditional copper line. Comcast Business and Spectrum Business sell voice lines over cable by address, Ooma AirDial replaces copper lines for alarms, elevators and fax, US Mobile is the lowest-priced single line, and CenturyLink still sells traditional business lines by phone quote.
| Provider | Best for | Type of line | Starting price | Customer rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1AT&T Business | Best overall | Digital line over fiber | $15 a line with new Business Fiber | ACSI 79 out of 100 (AT&T Fiber) |
| #2Verizon Business | A true copper line or a VoIP line | Copper and VoIP | $35 a VoIP line, $69 copper | ACSI 75 out of 100 (Fios) |
| #3Comcast Business | Cable voice with outage backup | Digital line over cable | By address | ACSI 71 out of 100 · G2 3.6 out of 5 |
| #4Spectrum Business | Bundling voice with internet | Digital line over cable | By address | ACSI 71 out of 100 |
| #5Ooma AirDial | Replacing alarm, elevator and fax lines | POTS replacement box | By quote | Ratings coming soon |
| #6US Mobile | One low-cost line | Wireless line | $9.99 a month, annual plan | Ratings coming soon |
| #7CenturyLink | Traditional lines in its areas | Traditional landline | By quote | Ratings coming soon |
Top 7 business landline phone service options for 2026
Each of these options for business landline phone service earns its place for a different kind of line. We ranked them on the prices and plans each one publishes, how widely it is sold, whether it supports alarm, elevator and fax lines, how it keeps calls working in a power outage, and how customers rate the company in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and on G2.
About the ratings on each card: the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) surveys thousands of customers every year and scores each network out of 100, and G2 is an independent website where verified business customers review the products they use, out of 5. Higher is better.
AT&T Business
Best overall business landlineAT&T Phone for Business works with the analog phones you already own, with no contract and up to six lines for $15 each alongside new fiber.
Read on AT&T BusinessVerizon Business
Best for a true copper linePreferred Voice is a traditional line that keeps working in a power outage, and Business Digital Voice is the lower-cost internet line.
Read on Verizon BusinessComcast Business
Best cable voice with outage backupVoice lines for 1 to 24 phones that Comcast suggests for office, point-of-sale and fax lines, with a 4G LTE backup option.
Read on Comcast BusinessSpectrum Business
Best voice and internet bundleSpectrum Business Voice includes 35+ calling features, unlimited calling across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, and an optional battery backup.
Read on Spectrum BusinessOoma AirDial
Best POTS line replacementA replacement box for fire alarms, elevator phones, entry systems, fax and card machines, with LTE and wired connections at once and a battery.
Read on Ooma AirDialUS Mobile
Best low-cost single lineA wireless landline with unlimited nationwide calling for $9.99 a month on an annual plan, with no internet connection needed.
Read on US MobileCenturyLink
Best for traditional lines in its areasTraditional business lines with caller ID, call forwarding and hunting, plus extra extensions when you add an on-site PBX.
Read on CenturyLinkACSI does not score business phone lines on their own. The ACSI scores here are its 2026 scores for the networks these lines run on: AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios, Comcast’s Xfinity network and Spectrum.
What still needs business landline phone service?
Plenty of businesses still need landline phone service for business, but not always for the front desk. The lines that matter most are the ones machines use: alarm panels, elevator phones and fax machines were built for a copper line’s steady signal and its own power, and many of them do not work reliably on an ordinary internet phone line. Each step below shows a common need, what matters most for it, and which options to compare first.
What matters most: keeping your published number, clear calls and features such as hunting, so callers reach a person instead of a busy signal.
Compare first: AT&T Phone for Business, Verizon Business Digital Voice and Spectrum Business Voice.
What matters most: a line that analog card terminals and fax machines can dial out on without dropped transmissions.
Compare first: Comcast Business, Verizon Preferred Voice and Ooma AirDial.
What matters most: a line that keeps working when your internet or power goes down, so customers can still reach you.
Compare first: Verizon Preferred Voice, US Mobile and Comcast Business with its 4G LTE backup.
What matters most: a line that works with the existing call box so visitors and deliveries can still be buzzed in.
Compare first: Ooma AirDial and Verizon Preferred Voice.
What matters most: a line your alarm monitoring company, elevator contractor and local fire inspector accept, with battery power and a backup path.
Compare first: Ooma AirDial, or a copper line such as Verizon Preferred Voice while it is still offered at your address.
What matters most: a working phone line where cable and fiber have not been built, often over a cellular signal.
Compare first: US Mobile, CenturyLink and Ooma AirDial.
Free personalized guidance
Setting up new lines or moving yours?
Setting up a new business, office or building, or switching the lines you have? Tell us how many phone lines and locations you need, what each line is for, from the front desk and fax to card machines, alarm panels and elevator phones, and your opening or switch date. Our telecom consultant can help you compare business landline phone service and POTS line replacement options before you commit.
A clear next step for new or existing lines
Request Free HelpStarting fresh or switching, we’ll help you plan every line from start to finish.
Business landline phone service for a new business or building
A new business, office or building needs its phone lines planned before move-in, because the main number, the card machines and any building safety lines all have to work on opening day. Start with the internet connection, since most business landline phone service now runs over it, then add the phone lines people answer, then the lines that machines use, such as fire alarm panels, elevator phones and entry call boxes.
What to set up first
Lines a new building may need
What to have ready before you order
Why carriers are retiring copper POTS lines
Phone companies are retiring copper because it is old, costly to maintain and slower to repair than fiber or wireless. AT&T has published the clearest plan: it intends to exit its copper network in the majority of its footprint by the end of 2029. In October 2026 it reported that only 1% of its eligible customers still use legacy copper voice, and that it has already discontinued copper services in more than 500 communities, covering more than 1.3 million locations across 18 states.
AT&T plans to upgrade customers in 1,500 more communities over the next year and has committed that no customer will be left without access to phone or 911 service. For a business, that commitment means a working replacement for your business landline phone service is offered, not that your current copper line stays. Businesses that wait until a discontinuation notice arrives often discover a fire alarm, elevator or fax line nobody remembered was on copper.
How business landline phone service has changed
Words you will see on business phone line pages
POTS line replacement options
POTS line replacement means moving each copper line to a service that does the same job, and the right replacement depends on what is plugged into the line. Ordinary phones move easily to a digital or VoIP line. Alarm panels, elevator phones and some fax and card machines need a replacement built for them, because Verizon, for one, does not support credit-card, alarm, fire, elevator or security lines on its Business Digital Voice service.
How to replace POTS lines without losing business landline phone service
For alarm panels, elevator phones, entry call boxes and fax lines, our POTS line replacement guide compares six replacement options side by side, with battery backup, compliance checks and the steps to switch without an outage.
If you are moving everyday calls to a full internet phone system with extensions, apps and auto attendants, our business phone systems guide compares the top ten.
Business landline phone service providers by ZIP code
Business landline phone service providers are local even when the brand is national, because each one can only sell where its fiber, cable or copper network reaches. That is why AT&T, Spectrum and Comcast ask for a street address before they show an offer, and why two buildings in the same ZIP code can have different choices. Wireless lines and replacement boxes reach further, since they run over cellular networks, which widens the choice of business landline phone service at rural addresses.
The same address check decides your internet options too; our guide to small business internet providers compares the ten largest.
Business landline phone service compared feature by feature
Every option here carries ordinary calls, so the real differences in business landline phone service are the type of line, whether it keeps working in a power outage, whether it supports alarm and fax devices, and the contract you sign.
| Provider | Type of line | Power outage | Alarm, elevator and fax | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Phone for Business | Digital line over fiber | Battery backup options cost extra | Works with existing analog phones | Month to month |
| Verizon Preferred Voice | Traditional copper line | Keeps working, no battery needed | Works with all wireline phones | 2-year agreement |
| Verizon Business Digital Voice | VoIP line | Calls can reroute to a preset number | Alarm, fire, elevator and card lines not supported | 2-year contract for the $35 line |
| Comcast Business | Digital line over cable | 4G LTE backup for up to 16 hours | Point-of-sale and fax lines | By address |
| Spectrum Business Voice | Digital line over cable | Battery backup for an added fee | Not listed | By address |
| Ooma AirDial | POTS replacement box | Battery backup | Fire alarms, elevators, entry, fax and card machines | By quote |
| US Mobile | Wireless line | Not listed | Not listed | Annual plan or month to month |
| CenturyLink | Traditional landline | Not listed | Not listed | By quote |
Can I keep my business phone number when I switch?
Usually, yes. When you switch business landline phone service, the new provider can normally move, or port, your existing business phone number, so customers and alarm monitoring centers keep reaching you at the same number. Verizon, for example, works with you to port your numbers to its network before your new lines are switched on. Keep the old service running until the port is complete, then cancel it.
Business landline phone service pricing at a glance
Three of these seven business landline phone service options publish prices, from $9.99 a month for a US Mobile wireless line on an annual plan to $69 for Verizon’s Preferred Voice copper line. Comcast and Spectrum price by address, and CenturyLink and Ooma AirDial price by quote. Unless noted, prices are per line per month, before taxes and fees.
Monthly price of business landline phone service, one line
Showing the 3 providers that publish a price for a single line. Not shown: Comcast and Spectrum, which price by address, and CenturyLink and Ooma AirDial, which price by quote.
Up to six lines at this price when you add new AT&T Business Fiber, with unlimited calling across the U.S. and to Canada, Mexico and U.S. territories.
The same digital line without a new fiber order, month to month, with free installation and phone setup.
300 Mbps fiber plus a phone line in one bill, with a $50 reward card when ordered online.
Adds unlimited calling to 50+ countries when bundled with an eligible AT&T internet plan of $65 or more.
A traditional line with unlimited nationwide calling that keeps working during a power outage, on a 2-year agreement that renews automatically.
Each extra traditional line added to a Preferred Voice package.
A VoIP line with 45+ calling features and mobile and desktop apps, on a 2-year contract.
With Fios internet at 200/200 Mbps or faster. IP phones or an analog adapter start at $85.
Unlimited nationwide calling on a wireless base station, with taxes and fees included in the price.
The same plan billed monthly, after one free month when you buy the Home Phone Base.
Calling to 200+ international destinations, 24/7 support and a SIM card that connects the base to the cellular network.
Other plans
Voice lines for 1 to 24 phones, plus VoiceEdge cloud phones and trunks for larger systems.
Bundles with Spectrum Business Internet; accounts without Auto Pay pay $10 more a month.
Hardware, service and remote monitoring on one bill, priced for your number of lines and sites.
Traditional business lines by phone; some calling features carry an added monthly fee.
Free personalized guidance
Get real prices for the lines you need
Setting up a new business, office or building, or switching the lines you have? Tell us how many phone lines and locations you need, what each line is for, from the front desk and fax to card machines, alarm panels and elevator phones, and your opening or switch date. Our telecom consultant can help you compare business landline phone service and POTS line replacement options before you commit.
A clear next step for new or existing lines
Request Free HelpStarting fresh or switching, we’ll help you plan every line from start to finish.
Business landline phone service reviews
The customer ratings for these business landline phone service options come from two independent sources: the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which scores the networks the lines run on, and G2, where business customers review the phone products they use. The review cards under each company come from Google Maps and, where business customers have posted there, G2, all from the past year, and each card links to the review it came from. Where Google has no past-year review from a business customer on one side, a short gray note says so.
We re-check ratings, reviews and prices for all seven business landline phone service options every 30 days, so what you see here stays current.
Customer satisfaction with the networks behind business landline phone service
Showing the 4 providers whose networks ACSI scores. Ooma AirDial, US Mobile and CenturyLink are listed below the chart with ratings coming soon.
ACSI 2026 scores, out of 100. Bars start at 60 so small differences are easy to see. ACSI surveys household customers of the same networks these business lines run on; where its brand name differs from the business brand, it is shown under the name.
G2 ratings for business landline phone service products
Showing the 2 products in this guide with G2 reviews: AT&T Office@Hand, AT&T’s cloud phone service, and Comcast Business VoiceEdge. The other options do not have G2 reviews yet.
G2 ratings, out of 5. Bars start at 3.5 so small differences are easy to see. The number in parentheses is how many customer reviews each rating is based on. Ratings checked October 27, 2026.
AT&T Business: best overall business landline phone service
AT&T Phone for Business over fiber, with no contractAT&T Phone for Business is a digital business landline phone service that runs over an AT&T Business Fiber connection and plugs into the analog phones you already own, so many offices need no new equipment. It is month to month, installation and phone setup are free, and every line includes unlimited calling across the U.S. and to Canada, Mexico and U.S. territories, plus 30+ calling features such as spam call blocking, call screening and voicemail-to-text transcription.
As business landline phone service goes, lines cost $15 each for up to six when you add new AT&T Business Fiber, against $30 without a new fiber order, and gigabit fiber plans include a built-in 5G internet backup. For businesses that want apps, video meetings and call recording, AT&T also sells AT&T Office@Hand, its cloud phone system, and AT&T Business Voice, a digital replacement for traditional business lines that lets businesses keep their existing numbers.
AT&T Business customer reviews
From Google Maps, all from the past year. Each card opens the review where it was posted.
On Google, none of the past year’s praise for AT&T mentions business service.
Worth knowing: the 5G backup does not work when the power is out, and AT&T lists battery backup options at an added cost.
Verizon Business: best for a true copper business landline
Preferred Voice copper lines or Business Digital Voice VoIP linesVerizon is the only provider here that still publishes a price for a traditional copper business landline phone service. Preferred Voice costs $69 a month with unlimited nationwide calling, and each additional line is $30. Because it is a true wireline service, it works with any wireline phone or key system and keeps working during a power outage without a battery, and features such as line hunting, three-way calling, automatic callback and distinctive rings are included.
Business Digital Voice is Verizon’s VoIP version of business landline phone service: $35 a line on its own, or $20 for the first line and $25 for each added line with Fios internet at 200/200 Mbps or faster. It includes 45+ calling features and mobile and desktop apps, and it can reroute calls to a preset number during an outage. Verizon does not support credit-card, alarm, fire, elevator or security lines on Business Digital Voice and suggests an additional copper line for them.
Verizon Business customer reviews
From Google Maps, all from the past year. Each card opens the review where it was posted.
Business customers have not reviewed Verizon’s business phone lines on G2 in enough numbers yet. ACSI’s score of 75 out of 100 for Verizon Fios is shown in the chart above, and we check G2 every 30 days.
Worth knowing: Preferred Voice is on a 2-year agreement that renews automatically, Business Digital Voice needs Verizon IP phones or an analog adapter from $85, and faxing on a VoIP line is not guaranteed.
Comcast Business: best cable business landline with outage backup
Voice lines for 1 to 24 phones, with a 4G LTE backup optionComcast Business sells business landline phone service over its cable network in three sizes: voice lines for 1 to 24 phones, VoiceEdge cloud phone seats for 1 to 5,000+ users, and phone trunks for offices with their own phone system. Comcast recommends its Voice Mobility service for an office line as well as a point-of-sale or fax line, with unlimited nationwide calling and popular calling features included.
To keep business landline phone service running through power outages, Comcast offers an automatic 4G LTE backup that keeps you connected for up to 16 hours. Prices depend on your address. Business customers on G2 rate VoiceEdge 3.6 out of 5: they like seeing coworkers’ lines and the automated attendant, and the complaints center on the app and reporting.
Comcast Business customer reviews
From G2 and Google Maps, all from the past year. Each card opens the review where it was posted.
Efficient and User-Friendly, But Needs Better Integration
Mid-Market (51‑1000 emp.)
Possible Low Cost Bundling, but Clunky UI and Limited Features
Mid-Market (51‑1000 emp.)
On Google, none of the past year’s praise for Comcast mentions business service.
Worth knowing: Comcast shows voice prices only after you enter a business address.
Spectrum Business: best business landline and internet bundle
Spectrum Business Voice with 35+ calling featuresSpectrum Business Voice is a digital business landline phone service sold over Spectrum’s cable network, and Spectrum offers its biggest savings when you bundle it with Spectrum Business Internet. Every line includes unlimited local and long-distance calling to the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, plus 2,000 minutes a month of calls to Mexico and low per-minute rates to 200+ countries.
The 35+ calling features include call hold, three-way calling, call waiting, call forwarding, and voicemail delivered to email or as a text. Battery backup is available with the service for an added fee, and Cox Business, now part of Spectrum, widens its reach.
Spectrum Business customer reviews
Business customers have not reviewed Spectrum Business Voice on G2 in enough numbers yet. ACSI’s score of 71 out of 100 for Spectrum is shown in the chart above, and we check G2 every 30 days.
On Google, none of the past year’s reviews of Spectrum’s main listing, Charter Communications headquarters, mentions Spectrum Business Voice. They came from home and mobile customers or didn’t say. Google showed 1.5 stars from 230 reviews, checked November 2026.
Worth knowing: accounts without Auto Pay pay $10 more a month, and accounts without paperless billing pay $5 more.
Ooma AirDial: best POTS line replacement
A replacement box for alarm, elevator, entry, fax and card machine linesOoma AirDial replaces the copper lines that business landline phone service once carried for machines: fire alarm panels, elevator phones, entry systems, fax machines and point-of-sale terminals. Its MultiPath technology sends traffic over LTE and wired Ethernet at the same time, so one failed connection does not cut the line, and a battery keeps essential devices running through a power failure.
Ooma lists AirDial as MFVN-compliant, meaning its calls stay off the public internet, and certified by ASME and NFPA. A web portal shows every unit across every location and sends alerts for outages, low batteries and specific numbers dialed, which suits property managers, schools and companies with many sites. Hardware, service and monitoring come on one bill, priced by quote. Our POTS line replacement guide compares AirDial with five other replacement options.
Ooma AirDial customer reviews
From Google Maps, all from the past year. Each card opens the review where it was posted.
AirDial has not been rated on G2 yet, and ACSI does not score POTS replacement services. We check G2 every 30 days and will add ratings when they appear.
No Google review in the past year names AirDial. These two are from Ooma’s business phone customers.
Worth knowing: your alarm monitoring company and elevator contractor should approve the replacement before you switch.
US Mobile: best low-cost single business landline
A wireless line with no internet connection neededUS Mobile sells the lowest-priced business landline phone service in this guide: unlimited nationwide calling for $9.99 a month on an annual plan, or $12.99 month to month after a free first month when you buy its Home Phone Base. The price includes taxes and fees, and calls to 200+ international destinations are available.
Instead of a wire, a small base station with a SIM card connects your ordinary phone to the cellular network, so it needs no internet connection, and you set it up yourself. That makes it a simple backup business landline phone service for when the office internet drops, or a main line for a small shop, a rural site or a seasonal location.
US Mobile customer reviews
From Google Maps, all from the past year. Each card opens the review where it was posted.
US Mobile’s home phone line has not been rated on G2 yet, and ACSI does not score it separately. We check every 30 days and will add ratings when they appear.
Worth knowing: the line depends on a cellular signal at your location, and the Home Phone Base is bought separately.
CenturyLink: best for traditional business landlines in its areas
Traditional business voice lines, priced by phoneCenturyLink still sells traditional business landline phone service in its local phone areas, with caller ID, call forwarding, call transfer, call waiting and line hunting that sends callers to a live employee before a busy signal or voicemail. Extra extensions and advanced features are available when you add on-site phone equipment such as a PBX.
CenturyLink does not publish prices for its business landline phone service online; you call its sales team for a quote, and an additional monthly fee applies to some calling features. It also sells an inside telephone wire repair plan for trouble on the wiring inside your building.
CenturyLink customer reviews
Business customers have not reviewed CenturyLink’s business phone lines on G2 in enough numbers yet. We check every 30 days and will add ratings when they appear.
On Google, CenturyLink’s parent company, Lumen, has 6 reviews from the past year on its Monroe, Louisiana campus listing. All are 1-star complaints about support or billing, and none says the writer is a business customer. Google showed 1.6 stars from 14 reviews, checked November 2026.
Worth knowing: traditional lines are the kind carriers are retiring, so check how long service will be offered at your address.
Other business landline phone service providers we considered
These providers also sell business phone lines but did not make our top seven for business landline phone service.
Our Verdict on business landline phone service
For most businesses that can get it, AT&T Phone for Business is the strongest business landline phone service: it keeps your analog phones and numbers, costs $15 a line alongside new AT&T Business Fiber with no contract, and runs on the network with the highest ACSI score in this guide. Where AT&T fiber does not reach, Verizon Business Digital Voice is the lowest-priced internet line from a major carrier, and Comcast Business and Spectrum Business are the natural choice in their cable areas.
The bigger decision for most offices, shops and buildings is not the front desk but the lines that machines use. Verizon Preferred Voice is still the simplest way to keep a true copper line while it lasts, but AT&T’s plan to leave copper in most of its areas by the end of 2029 shows where every carrier is heading. Alarm, elevator, entry and fax lines belong on a replacement built for them, such as Ooma AirDial, and a single low-cost backup line from US Mobile covers small offices that only need a phone that always works. If you manage several sites, a telecom consultant can count every line and match each one to the right replacement in one plan.
What business landline phone service still does well
- Keeps your published numbers and existing phones.
- Carries alarm, elevator, fax and card machine signals.
- Gives customers a number that rings even when apps fail.
What to plan for
- Copper lines are being retired, so prices and availability will change.
- Digital lines need a battery to work in a power outage.
- Alarm and elevator lines need approval from the companies that service them.
Quick math: one year of business landline phone service for 4 lines
Showing the 3 providers that publish line prices. Comcast, Spectrum, CenturyLink and Ooma AirDial price by address or quote, so they are not shown.
Totals are the published monthly line prices times 12, for phone service only. They leave out internet service, phones or adapters, installation, taxes and fees; US Mobile’s price already includes taxes and fees but not its base station. US Mobile’s total is rounded to the nearest dollar.
Business landline phone service FAQs
What is the best business landline phone service?
AT&T Phone for Business is the best overall business landline phone service in 2026 where AT&T Business Fiber is available, followed by Verizon Business. Verizon Preferred Voice is the best choice if you specifically need a traditional copper line.
How much does a business landline cost per month?
Published prices in this guide run from $9.99 a month for a US Mobile wireless line on an annual plan to $69 for a Verizon Preferred Voice copper line. Digital lines from AT&T and Verizon cost $15 to $35 a line, before taxes, fees and equipment.
Does AT&T offer business landlines?
Yes. AT&T sells AT&T Phone for Business, a digital line that works with your existing analog phones, for $15 a line with new AT&T Business Fiber or $30 without it. AT&T is retiring its copper network in most of its areas by the end of 2029.
What companies still offer landline service for businesses?
AT&T, Verizon, Comcast Business, Spectrum Business and CenturyLink all still sell business landline phone service. Most of these lines now run over fiber or cable, and Verizon Preferred Voice is one of the few traditional copper lines still sold with a published price.
What phone lines does a new business need?
Most new businesses need a main number with one or more phone lines, plus a line for each fax machine, card terminal, fire alarm panel, elevator phone or entry call box. Order the internet connection first, since most business landline phone service now runs over it, and test every line before opening day.
Are copper landlines going away?
Yes, gradually. AT&T has already discontinued copper services in more than 500 communities and plans to exit copper in the majority of its footprint by the end of 2029. Other carriers are moving customers to fiber, cable and wireless lines as well.
What is POTS line replacement?
POTS line replacement moves devices that use a copper phone line, such as fire alarm panels, elevator phones, entry call boxes and fax machines, to a service that does the same job, usually a box with a cellular connection and a battery, such as Ooma AirDial. Our POTS line replacement guide compares six of them side by side.
Will my fire alarm work on a VoIP line?
Not always. Verizon does not support alarm, fire, elevator or security lines on its Business Digital Voice service. Ask your alarm monitoring company which line types it accepts before you switch, and consider a POTS replacement box built for alarm lines.
Does a business landline work in a power outage?
A traditional copper line does, which is why Verizon notes that Preferred Voice keeps working without a battery. Digital lines over fiber or cable need a battery backup, which Spectrum offers for an added fee and AT&T lists as an added-cost option, and Comcast lists a 4G LTE backup for up to 16 hours.
Is VoIP the same as a landline business phone service?
Not exactly. A traditional landline business phone service runs over a copper pair and powers itself, while VoIP carries calls over an internet connection. Many providers now sell VoIP or digital lines as business landline phone service because they plug into the same phones and keep the same numbers, but they need internet and a battery to work in an outage.
Can I keep my phone number if I switch to VoIP?
Usually, yes. A new provider can normally port your existing business phone number to a VoIP or digital line. Keep your old service active until the transfer is complete, then cancel it.
Free personalized guidance
Ready to plan your phone lines?
Setting up a new business, office or building, or switching the lines you have? Tell us how many phone lines and locations you need, what each line is for, from the front desk and fax to card machines, alarm panels and elevator phones, and your opening or switch date. Our telecom consultant can help you compare business landline phone service and POTS line replacement options before you commit.
A clear next step for new or existing lines
Request Free HelpStarting fresh or switching, we’ll help you plan every line from start to finish.