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Free copper line (POTS) audit for New York buildings

Find out which phone lines in your building still run on copper, what each one is for, and what to do before your phone company retires it. The audit is free and there is no obligation.

We serve buildings and businesses in New York City, Long Island and Westchester.

Verizon has asked the FCC to start retiring copper in parts of New York on November 30. Many buildings don’t know which of their lines are still copper. Some were installed decades ago and nobody has looked at them since. Our free audit gives you that list.

What we check

• Elevator emergency phones: which number each car calls from, and whether that line is copper.
• Fire alarm and burglar alarm panels: how each panel sends its signals today.
• Fax machines, door buzzers and entry systems: the small lines that are easy to forget.
• Boiler, sprinkler and other dialers: equipment that quietly dials out over a phone line.
• Lines nobody uses: old lines you may still be paying for every month.

How the free audit works

1. Tell us about your building. Call (800) 392-3377 or fill in the short form. A recent phone bill helps, but it’s not required.
2. Free on-site visit. Our specialist visits your building, finds each line and notes what it connects to.
3. You get a one-page report. Every line, what it’s for, whether it’s copper, and what we recommend: replace it, keep it, or cancel it.
4. You decide. If you replace lines with us, we install a cellular line box with battery backup next to the equipment. Your elevator phone, alarm panel or fax machine usually stays.
5. Testing with your contractors. We schedule testing with your elevator contractor and alarm company, so you have a record that everything works.

Who it’s for

Property managers, building owners, co-op and condo boards, and facility managers of buildings with elevators, alarm panels, fax lines or door entry systems on old phone lines.

Questions building managers ask

Is the copper line audit really free?

Yes. The audit and the report are free, with no obligation to buy anything.

Which areas do you cover?

New York City, Long Island and Westchester.

Do I need to be there for the visit?

Someone who can show us the elevator machine room, alarm panels and phone closets should be there, like a superintendent or building engineer.

Will my elevator phone or alarm panel need to be replaced?

Usually not. In most cases only the line behind the equipment changes. The equipment plugs into a cellular line box instead of the copper line.

Do you work with my alarm company and elevator contractor?

Yes. Fire alarm panels have their own rules, so your fire alarm company is part of the plan from the start, and your elevator contractor tests the elevator phone after the switch.

When is copper being retired in New York?

Verizon has asked the FCC to start retiring copper in parts of New York on November 30. The FCC hasn’t made a final decision yet. Verizon says affected customers get a letter with a specific date.

Who is QTech?

QTech is an affiliate of QTel, a licensed New York carrier since 2001, with offices at 147 West 35th Street in Manhattan.

POTS line service is provided and billed by QTel, a licensed New York carrier since 2001. QTech sells and installs it as QTel’s authorized agent. QTech does not provide alarm monitoring.