It’s hard to believe that in 2026, many companies still use a fax unless you’re one of those who do. But faxing has never gone away and has been updated. Faxing is still an efficient way to send documents to someone quickly and easily.
But if your company still uses a hard-wired fax machine with an analog phone line, you should look for alternatives. Your local telephone service provider no longer has an FCC requirement to continue providing analog phone service. This is part of a broader copper retirement process, where telecom providers are phasing out copper services and copper wires in favor of digital alternatives. That means when the traditional phone service is discontinued, landline customers who rely on copper landlines and traditional copper infrastructure will be affected by these changes, and it renders your legacy fax machine “bricked” and useless. Maintaining old copper wire infrastructure is prohibitively expensive for telecommunications providers, which is a key reason for the shift. Major telecom providers like AT&T and Verizon are actively retiring analog lines, with significant portions of networks targeted for shutdown between 2025 and 2027.
Introduction to Landline Phase-Out
The communications landscape is rapidly evolving, and traditional landline phone services are quickly becoming a thing of the past. As more people and businesses turn to mobile phones and internet-based alternatives, the use of traditional landline service has steadily declined. Many providers are now planning to phase out landline phone service entirely by 2027, driven by the copper switch-off and the growing demand for faster, more reliable, and cost-effective communication solutions. This shift is opening the door to advanced technologies like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and fiber-optic phone services, which offer greater flexibility and modern features that traditional landlines simply can’t match. For businesses and households alike, it’s essential to prepare for this transition and explore new phone services that leverage internet protocol and digital connectivity, ensuring you stay connected as landlines fade into history.
Who still uses a fax?
Many industries rely heavily on fax technology for sending and receiving important documents:
- Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers for exchanging patient information securely, supporting health care needs, faxing for medical monitoring devices, and handling emergency communications
- Law offices
- Banks
- Insurance companies
- Realtors, title companies, mortgage companies, and other real-estate-related entities
- Overseas entities, especially where Internet service isn’t optimal
Keeping a landline is still beneficial for some security systems and users who rely on stable connections. Many home security systems still rely on landline connections as a primary or backup communication method, which can be less expensive and more reliable than those tied into cell phones.
Faxing is still popular for one reason: because it works well for sending documents. A fax isn’t susceptible to viruses or other security issues; it gets the job done. Big, noisy fax machines in offices aren’t the norm anymore. Web faxing replaced the standalone machines.
That means when the traditional phone service is discontinued, it renders your legacy fax machine “bricked” and useless.
The end of Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)
Landlines for traditional phone service calling are known as POTS, for “Plain Old Telephone Service.” Features like call waiting are added to monthly billing.
Fax machines were the original “dial-up” service before the Internet. They required a separate landline if the company used it frequently. During the late 80s and throughout the 90s, fax machines operated 24/7.
Once mobile service became the norm, landline use declined. Legacy landlines are being phased out, and a significant number of households and businesses are affected by this transition. Many customers still rely on landlines for essential communication needs, including emergency calls and health monitoring. The FCC required telecom providers to continue offering POTS alongside its mobile and other services. Even as customers move away from analog landlines, providers must maintain the aging infrastructure at their expense. Landline phones are declining due to the ubiquity of mobile phones and the high maintenance costs for aging copper infrastructure. Over 75% of American homes now use only wireless, utilizing smartphones which offer superior portability and features. The transition from copper landlines to digital alternatives like VoIP and fiber-optic services is driven by the need for more reliable, faster, and cost-effective communication methods.
The FCC Intervenes
Although landlines are still available, they may not be for long. Until recently, the FCC required providers to keep landlines for their customers. Copper-wired landline systems have been in use for over 100 years. Service providers are sunsetting copper-wire infrastructure in favor of fiber optic cable, which offers other services, such as VoIP, Internet, and others.
In August of 2022, FCC Order 19-72 ended the requirement for service providers to provide landline service for their customers. The condition is that the providers have a suitable replacement available. Although many providers still offer landline service, they’re no longer required to do that. Even if you have a landline now, your phone company can end that service anytime.
Both business and residential customers with landline service will have to sign up for a new service to have a phone, including businesses with fax machines. While fiber-optic cable is a good option for basic phone service, there isn’t yet an equivalent replacement for landline phone service.
Even if you have a landline now, your phone company can end that service anytime.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Traditional Landlines
Traditional landlines have long been valued for their reliability, especially during emergencies when cell phone networks may be overloaded or unavailable. They offer clear call quality, enhanced security, and a fixed location, making it easy for emergency services to pinpoint your address if you call for help. This is particularly important for older adults and those living in areas with spotty cell phone coverage. However, maintaining traditional landlines comes with significant drawbacks. The additional cost of a landline phone service can add up quickly, especially when factoring in charges for long distance calls and monthly service fees. Landlines also lack the flexibility and features of modern digital alternatives, making them less appealing for households and businesses that already rely on cell phones for most communication needs. As more people move away from landlines, the value proposition of keeping a traditional phone diminishes, especially when weighed against the convenience and cost savings of newer technologies.
The costs of keeping an analog landline for a physical fax machine
If your phone provider hasn’t ended landline service, consider yourself lucky. But the day will come when they do. So, what will it cost to continue using the analog landline for however long you can? And what’s your company’s total expenditure for keeping that legacy fax machine running? Think about the expenses, such as:
- Landline telephone service
- Upkeep for aging machines, such as maintenance contracts to third-party service providers
- Supplies, such as paper and toner
- Electricity to keep it (and its servers) running and cooled
- Labor time for employees sending and waiting for faxes, redialing, printing, dealing with paper jams, and handling hard copies
- IT services to handle repairs, troubleshooting, replacing toner and other supplies, rebooting fax servers following a crash
- Costs for rack space in the data center if your fax server is offsite
Not only will the landline service begin to deteriorate, you’ll pay more. And you’ll still need to update when your provider discontinues your landline. And because the FCC eliminated the price caps for landline service, providers can charge whatever they want. That’s in addition to the consumables and services you’ll need for the machine.
Landlines are going away
You might believe keeping your current legacy fax system is less expensive. As you can see, that’s not the case, especially if the associated operating costs keep rising. Eventually, you will likely lose the landline anyway. Moving to VoIP and web faxing before your provider sunsets your landline eliminates these charges, gives your company more flexibility, and saves money. A stable broadband internet connection or internet connection is essential for reliable VoIP service. Fiber-optic phone services offer a modern alternative to traditional landlines, providing clearer calls and fewer service disruptions by replacing outdated copper wiring. Modern alternatives to landlines, such as VoIP and fiber-optic services, still support 911 or emergency dialing, but they typically require power and may not work during long outages unless a backup battery is installed. Additionally, online communication apps like WhatsApp, Skype, and Zoom enable users to make calls, send texts, and engage in video chats from any device with an internet connection, serving as modern alternatives to traditional phone lines.
Impact on Home Security Systems
The phase-out of traditional landline service has important implications for home security systems. Many security systems have historically depended on landline connections to communicate with monitoring centers, either as a primary method or as a backup. As landline service is discontinued, these systems may lose their ability to send alerts or receive updates, potentially compromising your security. To ensure continued protection, users should review their current home security systems and consult with their service provider about upgrading to digital alternatives, such as VoIP-based or cellular-enabled security systems. Modern security systems can leverage internet protocol and wireless networks to maintain reliable communication, even as traditional landline service disappears. Taking proactive steps now will help you avoid service interruptions and keep your property secure as the telecommunications landscape changes.
Copper Lines Replacement
The retirement of copper phone lines is a major driver behind the shift to digital communication solutions. Telecom companies are phasing out legacy copper network operations in favor of fiber optic networks, which deliver faster speeds, greater reliability, and support for advanced phone services like VoIP. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversees this transition, generally allowing telecom providers to discontinue copper phone services as long as adequate digital alternatives are available in the area. For businesses and households, this means saying goodbye to copper phone lines and embracing modern features offered by internet protocol-based phone systems. Fiber optic networks not only improve call quality and reduce maintenance issues but also help eliminate common problems like robocalls and dropped calls. As copper lines are replaced, customers can expect a smoother, more efficient phone experience with access to the latest digital alternatives.
Cell Phone Reliance
As traditional landline service is phased out, many people are turning to cell phones as their primary means of communication. Cell phones offer unmatched mobility and convenience, allowing users to make calls, send texts, and access the internet from virtually anywhere. However, relying solely on cell phones comes with its own set of challenges. In areas with poor cellular coverage, users may experience dropped calls, unreliable connections, and inconsistent call quality—issues that traditional landlines rarely faced. Additionally, the cost of maintaining multiple cell phone plans can add up, especially for families or businesses with several users. While digital alternatives like VoIP can help bridge the gap, it’s important to assess your specific needs for reliability, call quality, and cost-effectiveness before making the switch. Exploring options to improve your mobile phone service, such as signal boosters or Wi-Fi calling, can help ensure you stay connected as landlines become a thing of the past.
Adapting to the new services
Faxing isn’t going away anytime soon. But the technology for faxing is far more advanced than it was before. Updating to web faxing now, before you must, makes it easier than waiting for your phone company’s drop-dead date. Fortunately, it’s not difficult. Start by moving to a VoIP system for your office telephony. Services like Google Voice offer features such as call forwarding, voicemail, and international calling as alternatives to traditional home phone service. Digital voice plans like AT&T Phone-Advanced (AP-A) are also available as alternatives to traditional landlines, offering modern features and flexible installation. The new system can often integrate with your existing phones, allowing you to retain your traditional devices when switching to VoIP or fiber.
Web faxing allows you and your employees to send and receive faxes much faster from a desktop or mobile device. You can also receive faxes via email, which won’t print until you send them to a printer. Less printing lowers your costs and reduces your carbon footprint. Many individuals and small retailers have abandoned dedicated lines entirely, relying on smartphones and business-specific apps to interact with customers.
For documents requiring a signature, it takes seconds for someone to add an e-signature and send it back. No more finding the person and handing them a physical document.
Updating to web faxing now, before you must, makes it easier than waiting for your phone company’s drop-dead date.
Switch to VoIP and keep your fax machine for now with an ATA
You’ll still need a phone line if you keep your standalone fax. You can still use the machine if you’ve already switched to VoIP for the rest of your phone service. However, you’ll need a VoIP gateway and an ATA (Analog Telephony Adapter) that supports the T38 protocol for the fax. You will still have the expenses associated with the machine, such as power, paper ink, or toner.
Traditional landlines provide clearer and more consistent call quality than mobile phones, especially in rural areas where cellular coverage can be spotty. Landlines are often more dependable than cell phones during emergencies, as they can function during power outages if connected to a corded phone. Emergency responders can trace 911 calls made from landlines directly to a home address, which can save valuable time compared to cell phones. Landlines are also less susceptible to hacking and breaches than internet-based VoIP systems, making them safer for sensitive communications. Despite their decline, landlines offer advantages such as ease of use for children or non technical users unfamiliar with modern technology, as they are straightforward devices without the complexities of apps or touchscreens. As of 2024, approximately 78% of U.S. adults live in wireless-only households, a significant increase from only 5% two decades ago.
If your company relies heavily on faxing but needs to update your legacy fax system, consider moving to VoIP. Contact Press8 Telecom today to discuss upgrading your small business phone system to a new, flexible VoIP system for less money than a traditional hosted PBX system. We’ll give you a free quote on the system that works for your company.
