POPP is Your Lumen/CenturyLink Alternative for Twin Cities Small Business
If your business uses Lumen (formerly CenturyLink, Qwest, or Embarq) for telephone service, you may be wondering what your options are as Lumen shifts its focus away from business voice services.
POPP offers a dependable alternative for small and midsize businesses throughout the Twin Cities. Since 1981, we’ve helped local businesses save money with business phone systems, telephone services, and responsive local support.
You don’t need another national telephone company. You need a local partner who knows your business, answers when you call, and makes sure your phone service keeps working.
Talk with POPP about your options. We’ll help you understand your current service, explore alternatives, and plan a smooth transition.
Why Are Lumen Voice Customers Looking for an Alternative?
Lumen Technologies, the company behind CenturyLink, Qwest, and Embarq, has announced End of Sale for business telephone services*.
While Lumen has said it will continue supporting existing customers according to applicable contractual and regulatory obligations, its direction is clear: business voice is no longer a strategic growth area for the company.
Your business may have Lumen/CenturyLink voice services including:
- POTS Lines (Plain Old Telephone Service, aka land lines)
- SIP Trunks aka Voice Complete
- PRI/CAS channels for on-premise phone systems
- Cloud Hosted Phone Systems
- Microsoft Teams Direct Routing
- Toll Free Telephone Number services
You don’t need to wait until a contract renewal or service issue forces a decision. Now is a good time to learn your options and make a plan.
Not sure if your business has Lumen services or not? Contact us and we’ll help you find out.
*Sources:
Lumen’s Q2 2026 Earnings Call – transcript here
Lumen’s Q2 2026 Presentation Slide Deck, pg. 12 – see it here
Our Lumen Transition Process
POPP works every day to make telecom transitions safe, simple, and affordable. Our full-service team works hard so you don’t have to.
Here is our process:
1. FREE onsite review of your current telephone service invoice (we’ll bring the donuts! 🙂)
Our talented consultants will learn about your existing phone service, telephone numbers, number of employees, locations, and how your business uses its phones.
2. We Identify the Right Replacement
We’ll recommend a solution based on your actual needs. That might be a cloud phone system, replacement telephone service for your existing equipment, or a hybrid service. We often find services that are no longer needed, and we’ll let you know so that you can save money.
3. We Plan Your Telephone Number Transfer
Our experienced team will coordinate the telephone porting process for a smooth transition. We’ve ported thousands of phone numbers, and we know how to do it while minimizing downtime.
4. We Install and Configure Your New Service
Our full-service team will take care of configuring your new phone service, set up users and features, and coordinate any necessary equipment or installation.
5. We Complete the Transition When It Works for YOU
We’ll work with you to coordinate the changeover and minimize disruption. If there are changes to how you team will use the phone service, we’ll help them get comfortable with the changes.
Our goal is simple: we keep your business connected while making the transition as easy as possible.
Why Twin Cities Businesses Choose POPP
For 45 years, we’ve been proud to support the small and midsized businesses in our Twin Cities community that employ our family, friends, and neighbors.
There are plenty of companies selling business phone service. What makes POPP different is the long-term relationship, great prices and fantastic local support that come with it.
- Locally owned and operated: We’ve been part of the Twin Cities business community since 1981.
- Long-term relationships over short-term gains: We believe in Win/Win partnerships, not just selling another phone system. We’re accountable to you, not to increasing profits for shareholders like a public company.
- Real people answer when you call: No confusing phone trees, just a real local person who can actually help. Test us: call 763-797-7900
- Local, experienced technicians: Our technicians all have over 10 years of experience at POPP and will treat you and your business with respect. We do not use subcontractors, we show up when we say we will, and we take ownership to make your phone service work the way you want it to.
- One local business technology partner: We can help you with business phone service, as well as Managed IT, cybersecurity, and Microsoft 365.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lumen getting out of the business phone service business?
Yes, Lumen’s President announced the End of Sale of its business voice and communications services during their Q2 2026 Earnings Call. The company is shifting its strategic focus toward networking, cloud, security, and digital services. Existing Lumen customers should review their contracts and any notices received directly from Lumen.
Is CenturyLink the same company as Lumen?
Yes. CenturyLink changed its corporate name to Lumen Technologies in 2020. The company also has a history of operating under names including Qwest and Embarq. Many businesses still recognize the CenturyLink name, even though their telephone service is now associated with Lumen. We can review your telecom invoices to help you determine if your service is provided by Lumen.
Will Lumen shut off my business phone service?
Not immediately. Lumen has stated that it will continue supporting existing services according to any contractual obligations. However, Lumen said they will not be renewing voice contracts, meaning that your service will then be month-to-month. Price increases or shutoff notices could occur at that time.
Can I keep my existing business telephone numbers if I switch to POPP?
In most cases, Yes. POPP has extensive experience porting telephone numbers from Lumen and other carriers. We will review your existing phone numbers and coordinate the transfer for you.
Can POPP replace my existing Lumen/CenturyLink phone system?
Yes, depending on your needs. POPP offers cloud phone systems, telephone service, and solutions for a variety of business telephone applications. We’ll review what you have and help you determine whether your existing equipment can continue to be used or whether a replacement makes more sense.
How long does it take to switch business phone providers?
The timeline depends on the number of telephone lines, the type of existing service, the phone system being replaced, and whether telephone numbers need to be transferred. From the time an order is placed to the time your service is moved to POPP, a simple service transition may only take a few days, while more complex phone systems may take a few weeks. We’ll review your situation and establish a transition plan before making changes.
Does POPP provide business phone service throughout the Twin Cities?
Yes. Since 1981, POPP serves small and midsized businesses throughout the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area and surrounding communities.
Ready to Move Your Lumen Voice Services?
Contact our team to make a plan to move your business voice services from Lumen to POPP.