Retirement and Replacement for Legacy Copper Networks
Background: Legacy copper networks, which have been around for generations, and used for general telephone services, specialty circuits for life and safety alarms, as well as elevator phones, faxes, and modems, are becoming more and more difficult and costly to maintain as they reach end of life. The result is that legacy carriers are continuing to accelerate the retirement of copper circuits and are also significantly increasing the costs of those circuits not yet retired. Agencies are faced with the challenge of replacing these networks with newer cost-effective technologies and solutions before the old networks are no longer available.
Overall Project Objective and Mission: The purpose of this project is to offer Government customers confronted with this challenge replacement options including the advantages and disadvantages of each and examples where these replacement options have been successfully deployed by other Government Agencies
Project Approach: Research history of issue to establish context; interview Government customers that have started and completed the replacement and those that that are still assessing their go-forward strategy; interview carriers regarding timelines for retirements, and current and future approaches to address challenges.
Duration and Timeline: 5 months; kickoff 11/15.
Outcomes: Overview and summation of research, and a compilation of articles/papers reviewed for use by Government Agencies as they prepare their replacement strategy.
- Case Studies (e.g., Remote Alaska RO with copper voice lines)
- Overview of potential solutions
- Best Practices for transitioning to new replacement solution
- A strategic planning template to guide agencies as they begin the process of transitioning from copper (e.g., checklist)
We are looking for project volunteers as follows:
- Government participants from agencies that have or are planning replacement
- Industry participants for carriers, SI’s, and/or OEMS that are affected by the retirement and price increases.
- Other ACT-IAC groups or COIs participating in the project: IT Modernization COI and Cyber COI