POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service, refers to traditional copper-wire phone lines. For decades, these lines were the backbone of voice and safety communications in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Today, they represent a persistent and growing vulnerability as telecom providers phase out copper infrastructure.
Healthcare remains one of the last industries heavily dependent on POTS. Hospitals, clinics, and senior care facilities still use these lines for critical operations. Outdated as they are, POTS continues to underpin large portions of healthcare communication infrastructure, leaving organizations exposed to risk.
These lines aren’t just for voice calls. In healthcare, POTS still powers
life-saving systems that cannot fail:
Nurse call stations
Fire and security alarms
Elevators and emergency phones
Fax machines and critical scheduling lines
When these systems go offline due to an outage, patient safety is immediately at stake.
Reliability Concerns: Frequent outages disrupt calls, alarms, and emergency systems, undermining patient care and operational continuity.
Escalating Costs: Maintaining legacy lines is increasingly expensive as support diminishes and specialized components become rare.
Compliance and Security Gaps: POTS lacks encryption, redundancy, and modern security protocols. This presents significant HIPAA and data privacy concerns, leaving sensitive patient information exposed.
The time to modernize is now. Cloud-based phone systems and advanced VoIP platforms offer a secure, future-proof alternative to POTS. For healthcare, the benefits are transformative:
✅ Uninterrupted Service: Built-in backup power and redundancy ensure continuous operation, even during emergencies.
✅ Seamless Growth: Flexible, scalable connections adapt to organizational needs without costly hardware overhauls.
✅ Robust Security: Advanced communication protocols safeguard patient data and help meet strict regulatory requirements.
Healthcare can’t afford to run on legacy phone lines. Every outage risks patient safety, compliance, and trust. By replacing POTS with modern, cloud-based communications, hospitals and clinics can protect what matters most: continuity of care and the security of patient data.