Plain Old Telephone Service Installation
POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service (or Systems), is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the analog service that a lot of offices and companies still use for business and communication. So, why is it so hard to get? With the advent of digital technology and its continuing rapid development, a lot of companies have moved away from POTS. They use other types of communication, and then stress out when those communication areas break down. If they would have had POTS, even as a backup system, they could have continued their communications uninterrupted. It’s a truly needed service that isn’t so easy to get anymore, but All-Tech Communications can help.
What is POTS, Really?
The concept is POTS is still commonly known as a “landline” phone. That’s because it doesn’t work over the internet, Wi-Fi, or satellite signals. It actually uses lines that transmit the data through them, converting a voice that’s speaking on one end to the voice that’s being heard on the other end. But many people think that POTS is no longer used, since so many people have gone to VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) options for their business phone usage. VoIP does work well, but it is not perfect. There can be problems with it, and in its earliest days, it was often not reliable, either. Fortunately, POTS does not usually have that problem. While phone lines can be cut or damaged, they are a convenient and solid way to connect one person (or company) to another.
Why Are POTS Still Needed Today?
Today, POTS is not used as much as it was in the past. For a long time, it was all that was available for people to communicate over telephone. But the HPFL blocks and 10A mounts got lost in the shuffle of VoIP, email, cell phones, and more. A POTS installation started to be asked for less and less, and many people today who still have a landline phone don’t actually have one at all. Instead, they have a home phone that they use through the modem of their cable and internet service provider. While it might be a home phone, it is certainly not a landline in the truest sense. For companies that need completely reliable communication, understanding the distinction is important.
POTS is still needed today, and when a company wants to have a dedicated line for their phone service, a POTS installation is still the right way to go. Instead of having their phones tied through their cable and internet service, they will have a phone that is independent of other carriers and other lines. That helps to protect them from sudden outages that can happen with their internet provider. When phones are used that are tied to a modem installation, a loss of internet service can easily also mean a loss of phone service. That stops a lot of companies in their tracks because they no longer have the means or ability to reliably contact the outside world. With Plain Old Telephone Systems, though, that’s a worry that fades away.
What Should You Know About POTS Before You Have It Installed?
Before you get POTS installed, make sure you understand what you are actually getting so you can be happy with your decision and how it affects your company, as well. Cost may be one concern, but there is no set number for how much POTS will cost a business. It depends on a lot of factors, and you will want to work with a communications company to find out what your price would be and the kind of value you would get for that amount. There are ways you can add more services to your phone system through a PBX system, which also runs on a POTS installation and can reduce your expenses.
But the cost is far from the only factor. Reliability is another area that has to be carefully considered, and it’s vital to ensure that your company’s phone system is going to do what it is designed to do and work when it is supposed to work. If you can’t call out, or your customers are not able to reach you, that’s a big problem that can cost you sales and hurt your bottom line. With a POTS installation, though, you can have the reliability and security you need to make sure your customers can contact you and you are able to reach out to them, along with employees, vendors, and more.
While POTS will limit you to the number of phones you can have, there are hardware upgrades that will let you expand in the future if your company grows and you need more offices or workstations. There are always options you can choose from, and ways to bundle your services to get what is needed for your company. VoIP systems are here to stay, but they really cannot replace the value of a POTS installation for giving you dedicated phone service and the reliability and value your company is looking for.
With POTS, you will never have to worry about losing phone service because your internet is down, or having trouble connecting due to a lack of bandwidth. Separate systems mean there are no overlapping problems to be faced — and that can mean a lot more peace of mind for your company and its customers, as well.
Get Your POTS Installation From a Trusted Company
At All-Tech Communications, we provide Plain Old Telephone Systems as well as a number of other communication technology options. You can get all your voice distribution from us, and make sure you have the methods and the means to effectively communicate around your company and with your customers and vendors, as well. By choosing the right company for your POTS installation needs, you’ll have security, value, and peace of mind. Then when your email is down or your VoIP system fails to work as expected, you won’t have to worry. You can just pick up your phone and make a call, the old-fashioned, reliable way. Contact us via the form below to learn more.