Analog phone lines verses VOIP

It is harder to get analog phone lines for fire alarm or the elevator phone than it used to be and they are much more expensive now. Using a Cellular unit tied to the hardwired elevator phones or to replace the 2 analog phones for a fire alarm are the best options.

1. Analog phone lines are POTS lines Plain Old Telephone Service and the voltage is about 54 volts and VOIP lines are 18 volts. Analog phones can grab the line and cut off others that are using a phone and VOIP does not operate like the old phone lines.

2. A phone company may tell you that they are getting you an analog line although most of the time it goes through a digital system and still has problems because they are not true analog lines on copper wires. With two people talking over VOIP the voice quality is good although when the phone dials out to a computer often VOIP misses signals and does not transmit all the information required for Fire or Elevator phone emergencies.

3. Phone companies got a 3 year period from Aug 2, 2019 to Aug 2, 2022 to begin their transition from analog to other technologies. During those years they would still repair old copper phone lines but now they don't have to repair them anymore although they will offer you an alternate method. If the copper still works you can use them until they don't. Often it is less expensive to change to cell and cancel the old analog lines.

4. VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) lines are used more and more although they are not a good alternative for Fire Alarm or or Elevator Phones because of a few reasons. Often packets transferred over the IP protocol get lost and all the information is not transmitted. The voltage is not what it should be on VOIP for many panels to recognize that it is a phone line or to trip the communication failure alert that is now required outside of the elevators. VOIP does not function well with DTMF which sends account and location information. One more reason is you need at least 4 hours of battery backup for TALK TIME on an elevator phone and VOIP does not give you that. If the power goes down in your building the internet routers are not normally on that long of a battery backup.

5. When I visit job sites I always press the elevator emergency phone button and tell the dispatcher we are testing the system. The scary part is about 1 out of 10 that I test is disconnected or not working. Some of these are not working because they switched phone service and took out the analog lines. Don't get stuck in an elevator without a working emergency phone.

6. Some Fire Marshals still require Analog lines and as the AHJs become educated and learn how analog is being phased out and how VOIP does not meet the code requirements they are coming onboard.

7. I am not a phone expert. I have been selling and installing alarm systems for over 25 years so if I have made any errors concerning the VOIP or Analog explanations I welcome feedback. Times are changing and so is technology.

8. Call Larry Love in Salt Lake City for information on installing a High Supervision Commercial Fire Alarm cellular unit or a Commercial cellular unit to provide dial tone to your elevator phones. 801 898 6003 Larry.Love@JCI.com