POTS Lines
POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) lines are an analog technology that most likely runs through your home or office space. It is a simple, analog telephone service that may have features such as call forwarding, voice mail, or three-way calling. Consequently, many industries still rely on POTS lines today for crucial services such as security alarms, temperature sensors, water meters, fire alarms, automatic meter reading for gas meters, electric meters, water sensors, and plenty more.
In the present day, carriers are shifting away from POTS lines and towards newer services. Furthermore, the FCC Forbearance passed in 2019 took away the responsibility of maintaining the POTS lines from the LECs, assuring the deterioration of the lines over time. Consequently, this causes POTS line prices to rise, prompting many companies to explore alternative options. One such solution is the CDS-9010 designed and manufactured by DataRemote. In brief, highlighted below are some of the features and capabilities of the device:
Capabilities
- Auto failover ISP
- ISP via cellular
- Utility Automatic Meter Reading
- Legacy Analog Modem Support
- Modem – Compatible with alarm systems & utility meters
- Ringdown – Control Gates/locks, Courtesy phone etc.
- Support for Legacy FAX Transmission
- DTMF – Dual Tone Multi Frequency
Features
- VPN
- NAT router/firewall
- WWAN
- 12-24 Hour Battery backup
- DHCP server and client
- LTE Dual SIM, Multi Carrier Capable
- Direct Plug & Play
- Web-Based Management Interface
- Customer Management Dashboard
- Mass Device Management
- Billing Via Service Provider or Direct to Customer
At first glance, the DataRemote CDS-9010 appears like any other router. AT&T or Verizon SIMs provide cellular service, and the device is easy to set up and manage. Plugging in an analog phone yields crystal clear calls, no matter the range. It also comes equipped with one rechargeable 12 hour battery. However, a secondary battery can be purchased, bringing the total battery life up to 24 hours of back up power. Additionally, attached to the back are four small antennas, two for cellular service and the other two for Wi-Fi. In addition, the CDS-9010 will support Band 14 and Firstnet, a feature popular with first responders. While it can be used as an Internet backup solution, and to deploy Internet service to a home or office, its capabilities range far more than that.
Here is a brief list of features from the CDS-9010 spec sheet:
- Direct plug & play Analog POTS line replacement
- (2) RJ-11 lines
- Integrated Router with 1 WAN port
- 2 wired Gigabit LAN Ports
- Support for legacy FAX Transmission
- Burglar and Fire Alarm Signal Transmission
- Ring-Down telephone line circuit
- Native Analog M2M Support
- Legacy Analog Modem support
- Automatic Utility Meter reading
- Telemetry command and control (SCADA)
- Emergency Responder Access
- SMB Router/Gateway
- Integral Wi-Fi (Host & Client)
- Band 14 option
- LTE Dual Cell carrier capable
- GPS capable
- Up to 24-Hour power failover battery
- One number dialer capable
- Elevator, Paging, Taxi phone line (Auto dial)
Conclusion
If your company has even just a few devices that run on POTS lines, it is worth considering an alternative such as the POTS IN A BOX solution. In every case, organizations see the rapid return on investment and enjoy the added features not found on any other device. No matter the need, POTS IN A BOX devices are a practical solution for any organization or business.