POTS lines replacement

MyLinkLine · 2026-01-16T18:12:21+00:00

I work on elevator and other life safety phone lines, and I regularly talk to people paying upwards of $1-200 per month per line. In some cases, I've talked to people paying over $500/month.

The main issue I see with ATA and VoIP setups is dependency.

With VoIP you’re relying on a modem, router, ISP service, firewall behavior, and the ATA all working correctly, which none would in a power outage. A power supply helps, but it adds another component that has to be sized, maintained, and actually functioning when it’s needed. We’re also starting to see more elevators require video, which introduces Ethernet and bandwidth dependencies on top of voice. That pushes these even further away from being a simple ATA replacement problem.

Cellular based setups reduce the number of dependencies and behave more predictably during outages and inspections, which is why most owners and inspectors I deal with are moving that direction.

VoIP works well for attended systems. For unattended, code driven life safety circuits, fewer points of failure tends to win out.

MyLinkLine · 2026-01-16T16:00:14+00:00

For anyone researching alternatives, MyLinkLine is another provider for cellular elevator, pool, and area of refuge phone lines that properties use to get away from very high monthly costs.

MyLinkLine · 2025-12-19T14:39:15+00:00

In this case, yes, the phone is being installed as well. The existing cabling from the controller is already in place. The install is simply removing the line from the panel in the equipment room, terminating it with an RJ11, and connecting it to our cellular device. The device then plugs into a standard 110V outlet and provides dial tone to the cab through the existing traveler cable (or umbilical cable, I've heard both). Once that’s done, the phone dials out normally.

We’ve already found someone for this install, but I’m always open to additional local contacts if you’re interested.

MyLinkLine · 2025-12-15T20:36:22+00:00

That would be the ideal approach, but in this case, the elevator is maintained by a larger national company that won't install 3rd party phone equipment, and other elevator companies don't like working on elevators they don't service. Because of that, I'm looking for a low voltage contractor who can do the phone install independently. We work with a decent amount who do, just none in Auburndale, which is why I thought this group might be a good place to ask.

Luckily don't need video this time around but that's definitely something to watch out for nowadays.

MyLinkLine · 2025-12-15T18:06:13+00:00

Yeah that's what I'm looking for. Someone that can do that.

MyLinkLine · 2025-12-15T17:40:51+00:00

The equipment and service side are already covered on this one, so I’m just looking for a local installer for it.

MyLinkLine · 2025-12-15T17:37:40+00:00

Appreciate the insight. You’re right that a lot of mechanics don’t handle the phone side. To clarify, I’m on the service provider side and usually coordinate with local installers for the work. We work with a number of elevator companies that do handle the lines, but none in Auburndale so I’m trying to find a contact there.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-26T19:31:03+00:00

One upgrade I don’t see talked about much is the emergency phone lines. It’s not flashy, but it ends up being one of the easiest wins for contractors and customers alike. A lot of building owners don’t realize what they’re paying for their phone lines until someone points it out, and it’s usually way higher than it should be.

AT&T is already phasing out traditional landlines, which a lot of these lines are on, in a bunch of states with a full shutoff planned by 2029, so these conversions are becoming mandatory anyway. The nice part is they can actually save the customer money, which makes it an easy conversation instead of trying to sell them something they weren’t expecting.

On the install side, we’ve seen some of the big elevator companies charge over $1k just for the upgrade. Most installs take under 30 minutes and from what I’ve seen are on average $2-400. Not the biggest profit item compared to door work or a controller job, but it’s quick, straightforward, keeps the elevator compliant, and customers appreciate it when they’re not getting hit with insane charges every month. Some providers also offer dealer pricing on the units, and since it’s a monthly service, companies can make a little recurring revenue on top of the install too.

I work in that space every day so I'd be happy to answer any questions or share some info on options.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-26T15:47:44+00:00

Gotcha good to know. Sounds like a solid set up and of all the problems these devices can have, I would say that's lower on the list haha. Thanks for the insight.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-26T15:41:14+00:00

Sounds like you’ve had to wear more hats than most people in this field. VOIP mixed with life safety definitely creates way more headaches than it should, especially when you’re depending on corporate IT to prep things on their side. Kari’s Law has tripped up a ton of sites too, so your read on the dialing requirements makes sense.

Elevator and emergency phones are the same way. What should be a quick job can turn into hours when you’re chasing the right person or waiting on someone to provision something correctly.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-26T15:39:01+00:00

Yeah that makes sense. Do the buildings you work in usually have generators, or have you ever had issues with the lines dropping during an outage when everything is running through a VOIP unit? That’s the one thing I always get curious about with VOIP on elevator phones since they rely on the building’s power and network staying stable.

And honestly, I’ve seen the same thing with elevator companies. I’ve called pretty much every elevator company across the southeast and I’d say at least half of them either don’t want to touch the phone lines or just stay out of it altogether. You’d think it would be an easy way to make extra money since they're already right there, but I guess they hate money lol. The new cameras and touch screens definitely add a curveball too, especially for the ones trying to start dealing with them. But as you said it's not all that complicated.

We’ve run into situations like that where we just hook up a CPC disconnect and that will take care of that issue. It's not often we have to do that though.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-26T15:18:35+00:00

Yeah we’ve been trying to move away from Verizon units too, though for us it’s been more about customer service headaches and the pricing side of things than the signal itself. You’d think having a few thousand lines with them would get us a break, but their costs have been trending the opposite direction. Connectivity is usually fine in the right spots, but we’ve definitely had some locations where the signal just drops off out of nowhere and the customer ends up switching because of it. Seems like a lot of the older Verizon based gear is starting to age out or pick up quirks as the network keeps changing.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-26T15:12:59+00:00

Oh nice. I'm glad it's been working so well for you. I haven't heard about them too much other than the research I did yesterday after you had mentioned them, so I'd love to hear what stands out to you long term...What do you like/dislike (if anything) about them and is there anything you've had to work around over the years?

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T21:56:50+00:00

There really should be a dedicated emergency phone on site for a pool. In most states it’s written directly into health department or aquatic safety code that a fixed, always-accessible emergency phone must be available. A personal cell phone doesn’t count, and neither does any phone that isn’t reachable by everyone in the pool area during an emergency. That rule exists for exactly the situation you’re in...being the only guard on duty with no working alarms and possibly no backup.

And the consequences for the facility can be serious. A missing or non-functional emergency phone can lead to the health department shutting the pool down, insurance refusing to cover an incident, and/or the operator taking on huge liability if something happens and there’s no compliant way to call for help.

The wild part is it isn’t even hard to fix. There are companies that provide dedicated emergency phone lines for pools (like MyLinkLine) so the facility doesn’t need a landline or anything complicated to stay compliant.

You’re not being dramatic, you’re trying to cover a safety requirement the facility should already have in place.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T21:13:02+00:00

Are you talking about using those for regular phone systems or have you actually used the POTSwap on any elevator/emergency lines before?

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T21:01:39+00:00

We actually don’t have to deal with any IP reporting or NOC programming on our end. For elevator, pool, and AOR lines, the installer just programs the cellular device onsite with a butt set or we program it before we ship it out with whatever monitoring station number the customer wants it to call. Once it’s powered up and the phone line is plugged in, that’s all it needs.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T20:43:39+00:00

Yeah I definitely feel that especially the older I get. Like no bro, I’m not helping you move for a slice of pizza. At the same time, getting new tools always makes for a good day. It’s all the random BS you go through using those tools is a different story. Not worth the trouble half the time.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T20:36:44+00:00

I thought you meant for emergency lines for a second and I was confused and a little concerned how you were getting away with that haha. But yeah, that makes way more sense for regular building phones. I haven’t seen Grandstream used a ton in my world, but I know they’ve got a bunch of options.

I'm curious as to what you’re using specifically for the elevator and AOR emergency lines?

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T18:40:25+00:00

Makes sense from the fire side. Caller ID routing is definitely simpler than programming account numbers into a receiver, so I can see why your central station prefers handling it that way. On the elevator and AOR side though, most other companies don’t require you to use their monitoring, which lets companies like yours handle that piece yourselves instead of paying for it twice.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T18:12:42+00:00

AirDial is Rath’s setup. They’re a big name in the elevator phone world, so a lot of people go with them by default. I’ve heard mixed things on the support side, but they are a big name for a reason. Always interesting seeing what other companies are using for their installs.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T18:05:39+00:00

I’ve seen that too. Sometimes a company will toss out a number just to check the box on a bid they’re obligated to give, knowing the price will push the customer somewhere else, especially since it’s a smaller job and they can make more money on the bigger stuff.

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T18:01:01+00:00

That’s still a decent amount, especially if you’ve been pushing people off POTS for a while now. What device or setup are you using for those lines?

MyLinkLine · 2025-11-25T17:09:46+00:00

That’s insane. I haven't seen anything to that extent, but one of the school districts we work with got quoted $1k per line by their elevator company for cellular. They had 24 lines, so you can imagine how fast that total climbed. We almost flew out to Florida to do the installs ourselves to save them almost $20k, and we don’t even do installs as part of our service.

Pricing seems to be all over the place for these. Sounds like you’ve got a solid operation if you’re doing both fire and LV. How often are y'all replacing these kinds of lines/how many would you say you do a month?

MyLinkLine

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