Copper Phone Lines Are Being Retired Now. Is Your SC or NC Fire Alarm Still Using One?

“What are those lines connected to, anyway?”

(Sometimes the answer is the fire alarm.)

Two old analog lines. Nobody uses them for calls. IT does not want them. Accounting keeps asking why the company is still paying for them. Then somebody finally asks the question that should have been asked before canceling anything...

Who Is Losing Copper Service, and When?

AT&T's filing covers approximately 90,000 customers in portions of 18 states and identifies November 15th, 2026 as the planned date for discontinuing the affected POTS services (AT&T filing).

The filing lists 23 South Carolina wire centers, including Folly Beach, Hartsville, Darlington, Dillon, Walhalla, St. George, Cowpens, Central, and two Columbia-area wire centers.

It also lists 19 North Carolina wire centers, including Julian, Ruffin, Blowing Rock, Maggie Valley, and airport wire centers serving Charlotte and Raleigh.

North Carolina is also dealing with a separate Frontier/Verizon transition. Its August 7th notice identified 41 North Carolina wire centers for copper retirement on or after November 6th, including multiple Durham wire centers, Monroe, Franklin, Highlands, Sylva, Bryson City, Cherokee, and other western North Carolina communities. Verizon also states that customers may be required to migrate services before the implementation date (Verizon North Carolina copper retirement notice).

The FCC accelerated the broader network-modernization process in March 2026. Most of these shutoff requests are now approved automatically 31 days after the FCC posts public notice (FCC 26-19).

For facility teams, the message is simple. AT&T's date is November 15th, and Verizon's North Carolina date of November 6th has already passed. If your fire alarm still uses copper, find out this week, before anyone cancels a line.

How Do You Know if Your Fire Alarm Still Uses a Phone Line?

First and foremost, as tempting as it may be, do not start by unplugging anything.

Start with the fire alarm documentation, telecom bill, and your fire-alarm provider. An older system may use a Digital Alarm Communicator Transmitter, or DACT, that was designed to send signals over telephone lines.

You may see telephone connections labeled Line 1 and Line 2 near the communicator or find dedicated fire-alarm numbers buried on a telecom invoice. That still does not tell you whether the path is true copper POTS, a carrier-provided replacement service, or another communications product.

Ask three practical questions:

• What transmission method is the fire alarm using right now? Have your fire-alarm provider identify the communicator and physical path.

• What is the supervising station actually receiving? Ask your monitoring provider how recent alarm, trouble, or test signals arrived.

• What other life-safety equipment depends on the same telecom project? Elevator emergency phones, areas of refuge, intrusion systems, fax equipment, and other legacy devices may also need review.

If a communication path fails, the fire alarm panel may show a phone-line or communications trouble and sound its local trouble buzzer. Treat it as a service call. Don't silence the buzzer and move on.

For a deeper explanation of how fire alarm communications work, read our related post: Does a Commercial Fire Alarm Still Need a Phone Line?

Can We Just Use the Phone Company's Replacement Box?

If you only ask one question during this switch, make it this one.

Do not assume that a replacement voice box supplied by a telephone or internet provider is automatically an acceptable fire-alarm communicator.

AT&T's filing says its business replacement device includes 24 hours of built-in standby battery power, but AT&T also states that the battery powers its own device and does not power customer-owned equipment such as security-monitoring systems (AT&T filing).

That distinction matters during a power failure.

UL Solutions also cautions that replacing POTS transmission with cellular or Ethernet/IP involves more than simply inserting a generic converter between the fire panel and the network. Dialer capture modules used for fire alarm signaling have specific UL 864 performance, compatibility, supervision, and standby-power requirements (UL Solutions).

Facility teams are asking this exact question because carriers are offering alternatives at the same time fire-alarm providers are recommending listed communicators. Those products may solve very different problems.

Before approving anything, have the proposed communication method reviewed for compatibility with the existing fire alarm panel and accepted by the AHJ.

Do We Need Cellular, IP, or Both?

There is no universal answer for every building on if cellular, IP, or both is the best route.

North Carolina's State Construction Office guidance for replacing POTS lays out several possible fire-alarm signaling approaches, including cellular, IP, radio, continued POTS while available, and local dedicated telephone service (NC State Construction Office).

Under the NFPA 72 framework cited in that North Carolina guidance:

The North Carolina guidance states that a single communications path under the cited 2013 NFPA 72 framework is supervised at intervals of no more than 60 minutes. If multiple paths are used, each is supervised within six hours. Shared on-premises communications equipment is generally expected to have 24 hours of secondary power, subject to the conditions in the adopted code and AHJ approval (NC State Construction Office).

This is why the IT department often becomes part of a fire-alarm project the moment IP enters the conversation.

A network switch that was once “just IT equipment” may now sit somewhere in the fire alarm's path to the supervising station.

What if Cellular Signal Inside the Building Is Weak?

Plan for this before anything gets mounted on the wall.

Metal buildings, interior electrical rooms, concrete walls, below-grade locations, distance from exterior walls, and local carrier coverage can all affect cellular performance. If signal is weak, the solution may involve relocating the antenna, using an approved external antenna, evaluating another carrier, or choosing another approved transmission method.

The important part is to test the actual site.

A new cellular communicator can pass on the bench and then keep failing its automatic test signals once it is mounted deep inside a building with weak coverage. This is the kind of problem to catch during design and commissioning, before the copper account is canceled.

For facilities concerned about communications outages, see our related post: What Cellular Outages Mean for Commercial Security Systems.

Does Losing POTS Mean We Need a New Fire Alarm Panel?

In short, losing POTS does not necessarily mean you need a new fire alarm panel.

This question comes up often with older systems because a facility manager receives two very different proposals: one contractor recommends replacing the communications path, while another recommends replacing the entire fire alarm system.

The disappearance of POTS by itself does not automatically mean every initiating device, notification appliance, panel, and circuit must be replaced.

The existing panel still needs to be evaluated for:

• manufacturer support

• equipment condition

• compatible listed communicator options

• available parts

• existing inspection history

• communication interfaces

• applicable code and AHJ requirements

• long-term serviceability

An older but serviceable system may support an approved communication upgrade. A system that is obsolete, unsupported, difficult to repair, or already approaching replacement for other reasons may make a broader modernization project more practical.

That is a system decision, not a phone-company decision.

It is the same kind of evaluation GenX Security Solutions has done on commercial fire alarm systems across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia since 2003.

What Does the Fire Code Expect After the Switch?

Knowing what the fire code expects after the switch from copper depends on the code edition adopted for the facility and the AHJ.

South Carolina currently operates under its 2021 state code cycle. The state has adopted the 2024 South Carolina codes with implementation scheduled for January 1st, 2027 (South Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal and South Carolina Building Codes Council).

North Carolina's own POTS-replacement guidance cites NFPA 72 requirements for communication-path supervision, secondary power, and signal transmission. It also lists potential consequences of remaining on failing copper infrastructure, including longer repair times, unexpected termination of service, and possible fire-watch expenses (NC State Construction Office).

The current 2025 edition of NFPA 72 includes additional restrictions around DACT systems using legacy POTS. NFPA TIA 25-1 states that a DACT using a legacy POTS line must also use another permitted transmission means, or a second telephone line only under specific conditions and AHJ approval (NFPA TIA 25-1).

Do not design the replacement from an internet summary alone. What actually governs your building is your adopted code edition, your existing system, the manufacturer's instructions, and your local fire marshal (the AHJ).

Once the new communications path is installed, test it with the supervising station and keep the resulting documentation with your commercial fire alarm testing records.

What Does This Look Like in a Real Building?

In a real commercial building, the most common version of what this looks like is probably less dramatic than anyone expects.

• Facilities gets a carrier notice.

• IT assumes it concerns old voice lines.

• Accounting sees an opportunity to finally remove charges nobody has been able to explain.

• Then someone discovers that one of those numbers is attached to the fire alarm panel.

At that point, the question changes quickly from “Why are we still paying for this phone line?” to “What happens if they turn it off Friday?” That is why the inventory should happen before the cancellation request, including finding out the following:

• What owns the line,

• what equipment depends on it,

• how the monitoring center receives the signal,

• and what approved replacement is appropriate for that particular system.

Need Your Fire Alarm Off Copper Before November 15th?

If your commercial fire alarm still depends on a legacy telephone path, GenX Security Solutions can evaluate the existing panel, communication method, monitoring requirements, and available modernization options.

Before anyone cancels a phone line, call 866-598-4369 or use the form on the GenX Security Solutions commercial fire alarm page to request a free fire alarm quote.

GenX Security Solutions has designed, installed, and serviced commercial fire alarm and integrated security systems across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia since 2003. The company is NWBOC Certified woman-owned and has been named to the SC Top 50 Fastest-Growing Companies list for four consecutive years, ranking 23rd in 2023, 14th in 2024, 14th in 2025, and 24th in 2026. GenX Security Solutions is also the only certified Mircom fire alarm integrator in Upstate South Carolina.

GenX Security Solutions serves organizations across three states from offices in:

• Greenville and the Upstate, SC

• Charleston, SC

• Columbia, SC

• Myrtle Beach, SC

• Piedmont Triad, NC

FAQ: What Else Do Building Owners Ask About Copper Retirement?

My address is not listed in one of these wire centers. Am I safe?

These notices cover specific wire centers rather than every property in South Carolina or North Carolina. They also are not the end of copper retirement. Carriers are retiring legacy infrastructure in stages. If your fire alarm still depends on POTS, identifying the communication path now gives you more control than waiting for a future carrier notice.

Can a fire alarm use cellular only, or do I need two paths?

A single path can be permitted under some adopted editions and conditions, but the supervision interval and AHJ requirements matter. North Carolina's POTS-replacement guidance, for example, cites a 60-minute supervision interval for a permitted single path under its referenced NFPA 72 framework. Do not assume every building requires two paths or that every building permits one without confirming the adopted code and AHJ.

Can I just plug the fire alarm into the carrier's new phone box?

Do not assume so. A carrier replacement voice product and a listed fire-alarm communicator are not automatically the same thing. Have the proposed equipment and panel compatibility reviewed before canceling the existing path.

What if cellular service is poor inside our electrical room?

That needs to be solved as part of the communication design. Depending on the system and site, options may include an approved external antenna, another cellular carrier, IP, radio, or another AHJ-accepted transmission method. Test actual signal conditions rather than assuming coverage from a carrier map.

Does losing the phone line mean I need a whole new fire alarm?

Not automatically. Many systems can be evaluated for a communications upgrade without replacing every component. Panel age, support status, compatible listed equipment, parts availability, inspection history, and AHJ requirements should drive that decision.

Do elevator emergency phones have the same copper-retirement problem?

They can. North Carolina's POTS-replacement guidance separately addresses elevator emergency communications and notes that those systems also have communications and backup-power requirements. Include elevator phones and other legacy life-safety communications when inventorying copper services.

Can the upgrade cost be tax deductible?

Potentially, depending on the project and your tax situation. Ask your tax professional about the specific expenditure. GenX Security Solutions also has an overview of business security system tax deductions.

Experience the next generation of interactive security services and solutions with GenX Security.

With custom security integration solutions come custom quotes designed for your needs. Please contact us by clicking here or calling 866-598-4369.

At GenX Security Solutions, we proudly serve businesses in all locations across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia with cutting-edge commercial security systems, access control solutions, structured cabling, fire alarms, and professional audio/visual integration. From bustling cities like Greenville and Raleigh to growing industrial hubs like Winston-Salem to hospitality hot spots like Myrtle Beach, our team delivers tailored solutions to meet your business’s unique needs.

Please visit our state-specific pages for more information on our services in various industries. We serve all cities in the Upstate and surrounding, including: