As AT&T Looks to End Landline Phone Service, Ooma Offers Both Consumers and Businesses An Easy and Affordable Path to POTS Replacement
February 13 2024 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Ooma, Inc., a smart communications platform for businesses and
consumers, is offering both consumers and businesses easy and
affordable paths to replacing POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service,
as AT&T and other legacy carriers prepare to shut down their
landline infrastructure.
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the full release here:
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As AT&T and other carriers look to
end traditional landline phone service, consumers and businesses
have options for replacing Plain Old Telephone Service, or POTS.
Ooma Telo LTE with Battery Backup, shown here, delivers free phone
service (subscribers only pay applicable taxes and fees) and stays
connected during power failures for up to eight hours. (Photo:
Business Wire)
AT&T recently mailed notifications to its landline customers
in California informing them of upcoming hearings by the California
Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) where the company will present
plans to discontinue POTS service in the state.
AT&T said it would guarantee to continue providing POTS
service for no more than six months after the request is granted.
The Federal Communications Commission already removed price caps on
POTS service in 2022, leading in some cases to big increases in
monthly rates, and many other state regulators are in the process
of allowing a gradual end to landlines.
This presents a dilemma for consumers and businesses who still
rely on POTS. Consumers, for example, may live in a location with
no cellular signal or may have a home phone number they don’t want
to lose. Businesses may have safety equipment such as fire-alarm
panels, elevator phones, burglar alarms and building entry systems
that can’t be switched to an internet connection because of
regulatory requirements or concerns with reliability.
Ooma has answers for both groups of users.
Ooma Telo (https://www.ooma.com/home-phone-service/) for
consumers provides free internet home phone service, with
subscribers only paying applicable taxes and fees. The service is
designed to address the most common questions for customers
switching from a traditional landline:
- Can I keep my existing home phones? Yes. Ooma Telo is
compatible with all standard home phones.
- Can I still dial 911 in an emergency? Yes. With the E911
service included with Ooma Telo, first responders will see your
address registered with Ooma displayed on the screens even if you
can’t talk. What’s more, family members can get automatic alerts
whenever 911 is dialed. For example, parents away from home will
know if a babysitter makes an emergency call.
- Will I lose my home phone number? No. Landline customers can
transfer, or “port,” their existing home phone number to Ooma for a
one-time fee of $39.99.
- Will my home burglar alarm system still work? Yes. Ooma Telo
has an Alarm Mode to support most home burglar alarm systems that
require an analog phone line.
- Will my phone work during a power outage? Yes, if you get Ooma
Telo LTE with Battery Backup
(https://www.ooma.com/home-phone-service/residential-voip-phone-with-lte-internet-service/),
which provides a wireless internet connection and a backup battery
that will last up to eight hours whenever the power goes out.
The optional Ooma Premier plan at just $9.99 a month
(https://www.ooma.com/home-phone-service/premier/) delivers
advanced features such as receiving voicemail messages as email
attachments, customizable call blocking, a mobile app for answering
calls away from home and a virtual second phone line.
Ooma AirDial
(https://www.ooma.com/business/airdial-pots-line-replacement/) for
business is an all-in-one POTS replacement solution that combines
hardware, software, connectivity, virtual POTS lines and remote
management with a single monthly bill from one vendor. AirDial’s
industry leading features include:
- Wireless connectivity that goes directly to the Ooma cloud
without traversing the public internet for higher reliability.
- Remote management through an online portal for multiple AirDial
devices across multiple accounts with a single sign-on for
efficient monitoring and control.
- An option for MultiPath connection, where calls are carried
simultaneously on both a wired and broadband connection, allowing
for automatic failover if one pathway goes down without the call in
progress being disconnected.
- Professional site audits and installation to smooth the
transition away from POTS.
“The inevitable end of landline phone service is understandably
worrisome to many consumers and businesses, but there are a range
of choices for POTS replacement – including those from Ooma – that
can meet their needs,” said Thad White, vice president of product
management at Ooma. “Once landline users make the switch, we
believe they’ll be both relieved and happy to discover they’re
getting more features and more reliability at a lower cost.”
About Ooma
Ooma (NYSE: OOMA) creates powerful connected experiences for
businesses, consumers and service providers, delivered through
smart cloud-based communications platforms and services. For
businesses of all sizes, Ooma offers advanced voice and
collaboration features including messaging, intelligent virtual
receptionists and video meetings. Ooma’s all-in-one replacement for
analog phone lines helps businesses maintain mission-critical
systems by moving connectivity to the cloud. For consumers, Ooma’s
residential phone service provides PureVoice HD voice quality,
advanced features and integration with mobile devices. Learn more
at www.ooma.com or www.ooma.ca in Canada.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Statements in this press release that are not statements of
historical or current fact constitute “forward-looking statements.”
The forward-looking statements contained in this press release
include, without limitation, statements related to the
functionality, features and benefits of Ooma AirDial and Ooma Telo.
Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual
results to be materially different from any future results
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject
generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from
time to time in Ooma’s filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including under Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
January 31, 2023, filed on April 7, 2023, and in its subsequent
reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Investors are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only
as of the date they are made. Ooma undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as
a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240213853060/en/
MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Langberg at Ooma press@ooma.com
650-566-6693
INVESTOR CONTACT: Matt Robison at Ooma ir@ooma.com
650-300-1480
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