FIOS analog phones support

I am considering switching from the cable service to Verizon FIOS (business) and I got a bit confused with analog phones support. One of representatives (chat) told me that ONT doesn't provide any analog phones connections, just VoIP. If I need to keep our analog phones there are 2 options:

Option 1. VoIP: ATAs for analog phones (or replacing analog phones with IP phones). ATAs that they offer support fax machines. A bundle Internet + Business Digital Voice.

Option 2: Subscribe only for the Internet service and use Verizon POTS for analog phones. They told me that a PBX is not necessary and a technician will run all lines (we need 3 lines) to the office. It doesn't matter for me how they provide that POTS via fiber from CO or not, it doesn't run through ONT and needs wiring.

Those ONTs that I have seen on the Internet have 2 RJ11, what are they used for?

This post a bit old so probably the current services are different, I do not know.

Our current cable provider makes it much easier to integrate analog phones via modems and it looks so complicated with Verizon FIOS. So why are we considering switching to FIOS? The current service reliability issue.

Accepted answers

Edg1

@lk777777 wrote:
UPDATE:

After another chat with the technical support:

"...

The signal comes from our central office across a fiber line to the ONT.

The phone that is connected to the appropriate RJ11 connector.

That phone will be able to make and receive calls just like any non-voip line does. .."

So, indeed, they run POTS via fiber and thru the ONT. And FIOS ONT do not convert regular phones to IP, like cable modems do.

That is correct. The dial tone coming out of the ONT would be a POTS line.

There also wouldn't be need for additional wiring if you were to get Business Digital Voice. You only need one four port ATA and it can be placed currently where your cable modem is located. You would then just take the RJ11s connectors out the the modem and connect them to the ATA. Again just a reminder, ATAs don't support. Alarms or credit card machines.

All comments

jonjones1

It’s being a little over complicated.

if you use a voip service (doesn’t have to be Verizon) you need only a ATA like a grandstream which can handle two separate lines or just use one phone number and hook up cordless phones. I use this method and I just use the internet with magic jack on one service and voiply for the other. With mj you can fax with not too much trouble.

now voiply has a business class service which also uses an ata they supply everything and support is excellent.

your choices are pretty straight forward. MJ and Voiply are very cheap to use, in fact what you pay Verizon per month is around a cost for a year or more with voiply and MJ is even cheaper.

Edg1

That not exactly true. The ONTs definitely provide analog phone support. There

are two line and eight line model ONTs out there. Actually you need analog lines for alarms and credit card machines since Business Digital Voice isn't compatible.

If you get Business Digital Voice then the phones are definitely VoIP. I believe it is alot cheaper but you have to pay for each phone. You could use a 1 four-line ATA for your current analog phones and fax.

If you have a PBX system the ATA can feed it or the ONT voice ports can as well.

jonjones1

Trust me my neighbor has/had the voip phone service and has been using cordless phones. Four of them I believe. The service is not cheap over $130 a month. And every time it rained etc. the voice quality let alone the phone service was terrible. He dropped it for another company who charges $200 for a year and he and his wife can actually make and receive calls. Not static or no calling out.

the ata can be a four line or two line etc. some companies will provide them already set up. So that is a good suggestion.

lk777777

@Edg1,

A technical support rep explained to me that ONT can have RJ11s but "...It will only help with VoIP for basic phone lines ONT never works..."

In any case, whether POTS is running thru ONT or it requires some external wiring, it just means it is much more expansive service (Internet + POTS) than Internet + Digital Voice.

Switching to VoIP with FIOS: ATAs will require an additional cat cabling and for this business to have any additional potential points of failure is not acceptable.

EDIT:

What I expected initially from those RJ11s in ONTs is to have some equivalent of cable modems functionality in regards of analog phone lines (converting to VoIP).

lk777777

UPDATE:

After another chat with the technical support:

"...

The signal comes from our central office across a fiber line to the ONT.

The phone that is connected to the appropriate RJ11 connector.

That phone will be able to make and receive calls just like any non-voip line does. .."

So, indeed, they run POTS via fiber and thru the ONT. And FIOS ONT do not convert regular phones to IP, like cable modems do.

Edg1

@lk777777 wrote:
UPDATE:

After another chat with the technical support:

"...

The signal comes from our central office across a fiber line to the ONT.

The phone that is connected to the appropriate RJ11 connector.

That phone will be able to make and receive calls just like any non-voip line does. .."

So, indeed, they run POTS via fiber and thru the ONT. And FIOS ONT do not convert regular phones to IP, like cable modems do.

That is correct. The dial tone coming out of the ONT would be a POTS line.

[Deleted User]

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