For years, organizations have known the transition away from legacy copper infrastructure was coming. Now, as major carriers such as AT&T continue retiring Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), that transition is becoming a reality.

While the field service industry has discussed the shift toward VoIP and modern communications for some time, Field Nation data suggests organizations are now executing it. Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen significant growth in telecom modernization work across the Field Nation platform. Here’s what we’ve found.

POTS-related work is changing

During the last 12 months, more than 200,000 POTS and VoIP work orders were completed on the Field Nation platform, generating a 10% increase in transaction volume compared to the previous 12 months. But the real story is beneath the surface: POTS work orders declined 38.7% year-over-year, while VoIP work orders more than doubled, growing 123.6%. Organizations aren’t maintaining legacy systems alongside modernization — they’re actively replacing them.

Replacement work confirms the trend

That shift shows up clearly in replacement activity. POTS replacement work orders — technicians swapping out legacy copper equipment for modern alternatives — grew 156% compared to the previous 12 months, more than 2.5x the prior year’s volume. This proves that this work is deliberate modernization.

Customers know the transition is happening

The data aligns with what we’re hearing from conversations across the industry. Many organizations understand that legacy copper infrastructure is being retired, but implementation timelines vary. Some are already executing large-scale replacement projects, while others are still evaluating when to begin. But carrier retirements are already creating real deadlines. AT&T, for example, has received authorization to discontinue certain legacy POTS services affecting approximately 90,000 customers across portions of 18 states on or after November 15, 2026. 

But waiting can carry real operational consequences. POTS lines still support critical systems such as fire alarms, elevator phones, and security systems. As carriers retire legacy services, organizations that wait too long risk having less time to migrate those systems without disrupting operations.

For field service leaders, that creates a second challenge: capacity. End customers may wait to act, but when projects get the green light, they’ll need partners who can move quickly. A compressed migration window can mean mobilizing technicians across hundreds or thousands of locations at once, while maintaining the coverage and service levels customers expect.

What this means for field service teams

Telecom modernization requires coordinating qualified technicians across locations, managing deployment timelines, and maintaining business continuity throughout the transition. With POTS replacement, VoIP deployment, and network modernization work already increasing on the Field Nation platform, the transition is underway. The question for field service leaders is whether they’ll have the capacity to respond when their customers are ready to move.

That’s where an on-demand labor model matters. Field Nation gives field service organizations access to qualified technicians across the country, helping them quickly expand capacity and get POTS replacement and modernization projects into motion when customer demand hits, without adding permanent headcount.

Need to expand your technician capacity for upcoming telecom projects? Learn how Field Nation can help you scale.