GrayMatter Networks is all about providing a proactive approach to prevent a reactive response in the future.

September 23, 2022 — New York, NY. As the discussions of the decommissioning of POTS lines escalated earlier this year, GrayMatter Networks’ leadership got together to discuss the best solutions for their hospitality customers. Despite the growing move toward VOIP, many hotels still require copper wire for devices that run on analog dial tone such as faxes, alarms, POS devices, and elevator lines.

The FCC order 19-72A1 has caused quite a bit of hysteria in the telecom industry. Many people have interpreted this order to mean that plain-old-telephony-service (POTS) lines are going away in August 2022. However, this order just allows carriers to no longer offer discounted rates to competitors for POTS line resale.

Before this order, Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) had to sell their POTS lines at a discount to competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). This allowed the CLECs to sell POTS lines at a competitive price without having to build their own infrastructure. The FCC has eliminated this requirement as of August 2, 2022.

GrayMatter Networks’ CEO, David Maayani has done his research. “Upon delving deeper into the FCC ruling, we find there is a lot of exaggeration and misinformation being spread. The FCC has not ordered a full-scale POTS decommissioning this year; however, it has removed the obligation of ILECs to provide POTS lines to both direct customers and wholesale customers, which will in effect cause the price of POTS lines to skyrocket.”

Maayani adds, “We don’t want to be part of the fear mongering tribe, however, we do want what is best for our customers, and while POTS lines may remain available into 2022 and even 2023, prices will be deregulated and thus, may increase significantly.”

Earlier this year, AT&T announced its plan to reduce it’s copper footprint by 50% by 2025. Other ILECs like Verizon, Lumen, and Windstream are ending services geographically. Maayani notes, “As an incentive to move away from POTS, carriers are increasing rates — I have seen prices increase as much as $1,000 per POTS line.”

GrayMatter Networks has decided to put an end to the price gouging with Synapse, their enterprise class analog replacement solution. “Our POTS replacement solution provides connectivity for specialty voice lines, including alarms, elevators, fire, or any old, analog services, without having to replace your existing equipment,” says Maayani.  Synapse provides a smooth transition from analog to IP-based LTE services and POTS replacement. Their fully managed solution includes best-in-class Cradlepoint routers, industry leading ATAs, and a 12-hr battery backup – all in a ruggedized enclosure. When bundled with Cradlepoint and a major LTE carrier such as Verizon or AT&T, Synapse offers a solution for all your mission-critical applications.

GrayMatter Networks has been devoted to finding the right solution at the right time. “At the end of the day, the right timing is individual to each company’s situation,” but Maayani says, “GrayMatter Networks is all about providing a proactive approach to prevent a reactive response in the future.” Maayani states, “We want our customer to be in control and not be forced into making decisions based on their carrier’s schedule and pricing.”

Maayani highlights the company’s devotion to their customers, “we want our customers to be able to focus on their core business, not on FCC rulings and copper lines, that is what we are here for.”

For more information, GrayMatter Networks can be reached at +1 646.401.0830, Ext. 211. You can also send an email to [email protected] or visit www.graymatternetworks.com for more details.

About GrayMatter Networks

GrayMatter Networks’ inception began in 2008 with the purpose of supplying simple and fair solutions to complex telecom issues. It provides efficient and adaptable communication solutions for all verticals, with a strong focus on hospitality. GrayMatter Networks reduces phone system costs by 40%-60%, saves businesses time and effort, allows for feature requests, and offers devoted and passionate support. Their offering includes Cloud & and Premise Based PBX systems, SIP services, POTS replacement solutions, and guest issue management.

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