The copper sunset is coming: Is your telecom infrastructure ready?

A copper cable failure this summer at Newark Airport halted airport and air traffic control operations, grounding flights until fiber optic replacement lines were installed.

While this was a stark wake-up call for aviation, the lesson is just as clear for healthcare. Many hospitals still depend on copper lines for nurse call systems, elevator phones, fire alarms and emergency call boxes. A failure in any one of these systems can disrupt patient care within minutes. Unlike flight schedules, the stakes in a hospital setting are measured in patient safety and lives.

A need for change

Telecom carriers nationwide are rapidly phasing out copper telephone lines. Organizations still relying on legacy copper infrastructure face rising costs and heightened risk of service disruptions — especially healthcare providers.

Legacy copper networks weren’t built for today’s high-speed connectivity. They’re unreliable, expensive to maintain, prone to outages and unable to deliver the bandwidth essential for modern healthcare communication and care coordination. That’s why the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began supporting the sunsetting of copper-based infrastructure in 2019, prompting carriers to actively retire these systems.

For hospitals and clinics still relying on legacy copper infrastructure — such as copper-based faxing, alarms, point-of-sale systems or landline voice services — this has become a critical business continuity issue. These lines often support life-safety systems such as fire alarms, elevator phones, emergency call boxes and nurse call systems. Failures can directly affect patient safety and delay care delivery. At the same time, copper’s declining reliability means longer repair times and higher risk of outages as carriers shift resources away from maintaining these networks.

The financial pressure is mounting as carriers continue to raise monthly rates for copper service, creating a recurring expense that strains already tight hospital budgets. According to MetTel, these costs are now often exceeding $1,000 per line each month, even as service quality deteriorates and carrier support declines. For healthcare organizations, the stakes are higher given the mission-critical nature of POTS-dependent systems.

By transitioning to digital alternatives, health systems could achieve up to 30% in cost savings, according to MetTel industry benchmarks for POTS replacement. These savings, combined with improved reliability and compliance, directly support patient care, protect critical systems and ease ongoing financial strain.

Delaying action could invite unwanted scrutiny from compliance teams or board-level stakeholders. Taking steps now prioritizes proactivity over reactivity.

Three-step roadmap

1. Pinpoint critical infrastructure: Start with a comprehensive inventory of devices and systems still running on copper lines. Hospitals often are surprised by how many critical tools — from fax machines to nurse call systems and elevator phones — still depend on outdated connectivity.
2. Explore options: Most health systems benefit from a hybrid strategy that blends fiber for high-demand systems with wireless or cellular solutions for flexibility:
   • Fiber-based internet services are ideal for:
     • Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems
     • Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones
     • Nurse call systems
     • Telehealth platforms
   • Wireless and cellular solutions provide flexibility, redundancy and coverage where fiber isn’t feasible, such as:
     • POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) replacement supports devices like elevator phones, fire panels and security alarms.
     • Cellular backup services maintain business continuity during internet outages or upgrades.
     • Fixed wireless access delivers high-speed internet without wired connections; ideal for remote sites, pop-up clinics or temporary locations.
3. Design a transition plan: Begin in lower-risk or non-clinical areas to build momentum, then scale across the enterprise. Engaging IT, facilities, finance and compliance teams early ensures alignment, smoother execution and measurable benefits in both cost and performance.

Modernizing your communications is about more than wires and infrastructure. It’s about protecting patient care, improving system reliability and setting your organization up for what’s next.

Contact us to learn more.