CASE STUDY

The Challenge: Two Failed Vendors and a Non-Negotiable Deadline

The district relied on analog copper for two functions it could not afford to lose: 911 outbound dialing at all 14 locations and elevator emergency communication. Getting off copper was not a new goal; Wauwatosa had been trying for years. What made this time different was that two POTS replacement vendors had already failed functional testing, and neither could consistently route 911 calls through the district’s WebEx calling environment.

The copper’s unpredictability was the real exposure. “We would only discover outages when we actually had to call 911,” Patten said. “Then someone would have to grab their cell phone. It just wasn’t dependable.” Because analog lines give no signal when they fail, the district often would not know a line was down until a crisis. With AT&T’s shutdown date fixed, Wauwatosa did not just need a replacement. It needed a turnkey partner that could act immediately and deliver across 14 locations with zero disruption to school operations.

The Turning Point: AT&T Recommends RCN

The breakthrough came from an unlikely source. After two failed vendors, AT&T itself referred the district to RCN Technologies. Once the team evaluated POTS Link, the decision was quick. “As soon as we found POTS Link, we were done with everyone else,” Patten said.

POTS Link answered every problem at once: certified, proven 911 pass-through with WebEx calling; complete removal of aging copper infrastructure; real-time device visibility and line-health monitoring; lower long-term operating costs; and a realistic path to meet the October 8 deadline. On cost, Patten was blunt: “We actually reduced our costs. It’s been a win-win for us.”

Deployment: Built for Urgency and Precision

RCN’s engineering and project teams mobilized a plan that respected both a school calendar and a hard deadline:

• A rollout tailored to a school environment. Installation spanned all 14 buildings, but only during narrow windows that would not disrupt students or staff. RCN staggered the work over multiple days on the district’s schedule. “Installation was exceptional. You let us direct the schedule, it had to be done across multiple days at specific times, and you made it easy.”
• Full 911 validation and failover assurance. Because elevator and 911 reliability was non-negotiable, RCN tested rigorously before, during, and after installation.
• A second verification pass. Even after Patten believed the project was finished, RCN called back to re-test every line, building by building. “They did their due diligence.”

The Results: Reliable, Visible, and Lower Cost

Wauwatosa beat the October 8 shutdown with no disruption to school operations. Its emergency lines no longer fail from rain, snow, wildlife, or aging copper, and for the first time the district has real-time confirmation that every elevator and 911 line is up. Recurring costs dropped and unpredictable copper repair bills disappeared. “We don’t have to worry anymore. It’s a much better solution for us,” Patten said.

“Get rid of them. I’ve wanted to for years. I’m glad we finally moved off.”– Tim Patten, Communication Specialist, Wauwatosa School District

The Bottom Line

Facing a hard copper shutdown and two failed vendors, Wauwatosa School District replaced its POTS lines across 14 buildings with RCN’s POTS Link, on time and without disruption. The district gained reliable elevator and 911 emergency communication, real-time line visibility, lower operating costs, and a verification standard copper never offered. For any district still running life-safety lines on analog copper, the deadline is coming, and POTS line replacement is how you get ahead of it.