For decades a business phone line in New Jersey meant a pair of copper wires running back to a Verizon central office. That network is being switched off in stages. On September 8, 2026, Verizon published a notice to retire the copper at all remaining locations in 62 New Jersey wire centers, with implementation on or after December 10, 2026. Earlier notices have already covered other parts of the state.
Most offices have far fewer copper lines than they used to, but almost every older building still has a few. The ones left are often the easiest to forget: the fax line, the alarm panel, the elevator phone. Here is how we approach the switch with the businesses we work with.
What is changing, and why now
Plain old telephone service, or POTS, runs over copper and over switching technology that carriers are retiring. In March 2026 the FCC adopted its Network and Services Modernization Order, which reduced the steps carriers must take before discontinuing legacy copper services and allowed them to stop selling those services to new customers.
Verizon’s New Jersey notice says affected locations will have another option, such as VoIP from Verizon or a cable company, or fixed or mobile wireless service, and that Verizon may ask customers to migrate well before the implementation date. The list leans toward South Jersey and the northwest, but it also includes Linden, Piscataway, Metuchen and Atlantic City, and closer to us Robertsville in Marlboro and Herbertsville. The full list is in Verizon’s network disclosures.
Step 1: Find every copper line you pay for
Pull recent phone bills. List every line number from Verizon and any reseller, including lines billed inside a bundle.
Match each line to a device. Walk the building with the list. Check the alarm panel, fire alarm control panel, elevator cab phones, fax machines, card terminals, postage meters, door entry systems and any modem in a back room.
Mark what is still in use. It is common to find lines nobody has used in years. Those can be cancelled rather than replaced.
Note who owns the equipment. Alarm and elevator lines usually involve a monitoring company or elevator contractor, and they will need to approve the replacement.
Step 2: Match each line to the right replacement
Main voice lines and hunt groups. Move them to a cloud business phone system, or keep the PBX you own and replace the lines with SIP trunking. Either way, your numbers port with you.
Fax lines. Online fax, or the fax feature many cloud phone platforms include. Analog fax over VoIP can be unreliable, so test it before you depend on it.
Alarm and fire alarm lines. Usually moved to a cellular communicator or a dedicated POTS replacement device. Changes to a fire alarm connection typically need sign-off from your monitoring company and, in many cases, the local fire official.
Elevator emergency phones. These must keep working in a power outage, so replacements are normally cellular units with battery backup, installed with your elevator contractor.
Card terminals, postage meters and modems. Most current equipment can use your internet connection instead. Older devices that need a dial tone may need replacing.
Step 3: Check the connection the new services will run on
Moving voice off copper puts it on your internet connection. A cloud phone system needs consistent upload capacity, low jitter and a plan for outages. Our guide to whether your business internet is ready for VoIP covers the numbers to check, and our business internet comparison shows what fiber and cable carriers can deliver at your address.
Power is the other difference. Copper lines were powered from the central office, so they often kept working when the building lost power. Cloud phones, fiber equipment and routers need local power. Plan battery backup for network equipment and life-safety devices, and set calls to forward to mobile phones if the office goes offline.
How long does the switch take?
Voice lines are usually the quickest part. Porting business numbers commonly takes one to two weeks once the paperwork matches the carrier’s records, and the old lines stay active until the port completes. Our step-by-step guide to porting business phone numbers walks through it. Alarm, fire and elevator lines take longer because they involve other vendors, inspections and building access, so we suggest starting with those.
Where we fit
We review the copper lines on your bills, compare cloud phone platforms and SIP trunk options side by side, and line up the internet connection to carry them. For alarm, fire and elevator lines, we coordinate with your monitoring company and contractors so each replacement is approved by the people responsible for it. Request a quote with a recent phone bill, and we will show you which lines to replace, which to cancel and what the change is likely to cost.