RESOURCE
When the POTS Lines Fail: Three Organizations That Made the Switch to POTS Link
Real case studies from a school district, a housing authority, and an enterprise facility — each facing a POTS deadline they couldn’t afford to miss.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Organizations: 3 Real Case Studies
Industries: K-12 Education, Public Housing, Enterprise
Use Cases: Elevator Emergency Lines, 911 Routing, POTS Replacement
Challenge: Imminent POTS shutdowns with hard deadlines
Solution Selected: RCN Technologies’ POTS Link
POTS lines are being retired across the country — and organizations that wait are facing the hardest shutdowns. This collection of real case studies shows exactly how three RCN customers navigated the transition: on deadline, without disruption, and with measurable results.
Inside this resource:
- How Wauwatosa School District replaced POTS across 14 buildings on a hard AT&T deadline — without missing a day of school
- How Prosper ISD cut legacy line costs and eliminated the stress of unreliable copper infrastructure district-wide
- How KCDC modernized emergency communications on a tight timeline with zero downtime
Whether you manage a school district, housing authority, or enterprise campus — these case studies show what a managed POTS replacement actually looks like in the field.
What makes these different from typical vendor case studies: each one is told by the customer, in their words, with specific details about timelines, constraints, and outcomes. No fluff.
Fill out the form to access the full collection. If you’re evaluating POTS replacement options or facing a carrier shutdown notice, these are exactly the stories you need to read.
Three Organizations, Three Triggers, One Decision
Across the country, organizations are hitting the same wall: aging copper POTS lines are failing, carriers are issuing shutdown notices, and per-line costs are climbing. For schools, housing authorities, and critical facilities, these are not just phone lines, they are the lifelines behind elevator emergency phones, 911 systems, fire alarms, and security. Three RCN customers reached the same conclusion from three different starting points.
Wauwatosa School District: Beating a Hard Shutdown Deadline
When AT&T set an October 8 shutdown date for the copper behind elevator and 911 lines across 14 buildings, Wauwatosa had weeks to act and two failed vendors behind it. AT&T itself recommended RCN, and POTS Link met the deadline, with a second, unprompted verification pass across every line. Read the full Wauwatosa case study.
Prosper ISD: Ending Years of Monthly Outages
A fast-growing district of 30,000 students saw an attempt to cancel 36 lines take down more than 100. After years of monthly failures, Prosper moved to POTS Link and, three years on, has had just two or three issues total, with proactive monitoring that flags problems before anyone needs the line. Read the full Prosper ISD case study.
KCDC: Modernizing Before the Crisis
Knoxville’s housing authority did not wait for a shutdown notice. Facing aging elevator and alarm lines it could no longer reliably maintain, KCDC moved proactively to POTS Link, prioritizing reliability and risk elimination over short-term savings. Read the full KCDC case study.
The Pattern: Why They All Switched
Different triggers, same conclusion: legacy POTS lines are a liability organizations can no longer afford to carry. Four patterns showed up in every story:
- Copper failures are unpredictable. Weather, wildlife, and age create constant risk, and failures often surface only when someone needs the line in an emergency.
- Carriers are accelerating shutdowns. Termination notices are going out now, and the window for proactive planning is closing.
- Costs are climbing fast. Some organizations have watched per-line costs jump from $20 a month to $800, and in extreme cases $1,800.
- The hidden cost is stress. Every team described the same relief once proactive monitoring replaced constant firefighting.
The Common Thread: Don’t Wait for the Crisis
Whether you are facing an imminent shutdown like Wauwatosa, fighting constant reliability issues like Prosper ISD, or planning ahead like KCDC, the message from all three is the same: do not wait for the crisis. RCN’s POTS Link is a 1:1 managed POTS replacement service helping schools, housing authorities, healthcare facilities, and government agencies modernize emergency communications, with proven reliability, code and procurement compliance, and dedicated monitoring and support.
POTS Line Replacement FAQs
What is POTS Link?
POTS Link is RCN Technologies' 1:1 managed POTS replacement service. It replaces aging copper analog lines with a cellular-based connection for elevator emergency phones, 911, fire alarms, and security systems, with proactive line-health monitoring.
Why are organizations replacing POTS lines now?
Carriers are retiring copper and issuing shutdown notices, per-line costs are rising sharply, and aging lines fail unpredictably, often only discovered during an emergency. Schools, housing authorities, and government agencies are moving before a forced cutover.
What kinds of organizations use POTS Link?
Schools, housing authorities, healthcare facilities, and government agencies, among others. The three stories here span a Wisconsin school district, a fast-growing Texas school district, and a Tennessee housing authority.
How much can legacy POTS line costs rise?
Sharply. Some organizations have seen per-line costs climb from about $20 a month to $800, and in extreme cases as high as $1,800 for a single line.