Several articles in Channel Dive have indicated Lumen may be shifting its focus away from the voice market — reportedly ending new voice sales (Channel Dive), altering commission on voice renewals, and thinning the partner teams that used to support that base (Channel Dive). For channel agents, that is not a footnote. If these reports hold, it would touch every Lumen SIP trunk, PRI circuit, hosted PBX seat, and Microsoft Teams or Zoom voice line still under contract, and it opens a window that may not stay open long. Customers whose voice provider is stepping back need a plan, and agents who move first keep the relationship, the commission, and the trust that comes with getting ahead of the problem. MetTel voice solutions give agents a full, carrier-grade voice portfolio to bring to potentially affected Lumen accounts, plus a broader connectivity, security, and mobility stack that turns a single voice conversation into a multi-service win for your customer, and a multi-product deal for you. This reported Lumen voice market shift is one of the biggest channel openings we’ve seen in voice in years, and I want every MetTel agent to have a clear plan for working it.
Why Reports of a Lumen Voice Market Shift Change the Conversation for Agents
According to Channel Dive, Lumen has told partners it is ending sales of its voice products (Channel Dive). Per that same reporting, new voice sales no longer earn partner compensation, and renewals on existing voice contracts will not be compensated going forward either (Channel Dive). Channel Dive’s coverage indicates the pullback spans Lumen’s full voice lineup, including SIP, Voice Complete, and its Microsoft Teams and Zoom voice offerings (Channel Dive).
- Per Channel Dive, Lumen cut roughly 90 roles from its Global Partner Solutions unit, including national channel and partner-success managers, thinning the relationship infrastructure your customers used to lean on (Channel Dive), a cut also independently reported by SDxCentral.
- Channel Dive reports that Lumen is still honoring existing voice contracts and paying associated commissions for now, but is not selling net-new voice and appears to be steering customers toward other parts of its portfolio (Channel Dive).
- Industry voices have been blunt about what this potential shift means for the channel. “Every current Lumen voice client will become targets for every competitor in the business,” one tech advisory founder told trade press, calling it “a huge opportunity for all competitors” (Channel Dive).
I’ve said it plainly to Channel Dive: if Lumen is indeed stepping back from voice, as several recent reports suggest, this is an amazing opportunity for MetTel, and for every agent with Lumen accounts sitting in their book right now (Channel Dive). The agents who move on it first are the ones who keep the account.
What This Means for Your Customers, and Your Commissions
If a voice provider is indeed stepping back from selling and supporting that product line, as recent reports suggest may be happening with Lumen, customers could be exposed on three fronts: rising costs as legacy pricing drifts upward with no competitive pressure to hold it down, shrinking support as the partner and technical teams behind the product get reassigned or let go, and a stalled roadmap, since a deprioritized product tends to get less investment in reliability, features, or integrations.
For agents, the risk is just as direct. A customer left to discover this on their own is a customer who may hear about it first from a competing rep, not from you. Getting ahead of the transition with a documented plan protects the relationship, protects the residual, and positions you as the advisor who saw it coming rather than the one who reacted to a lost account.
The MetTel Voice Portfolio Your Customers Can Move To
MetTel voice solutions cover the same ground Lumen may be stepping away from, according to recent Channel Dive reporting, and then some, giving agents a like-for-like (or better) replacement for nearly any voice service a customer is running today.
POTS Transformation
- A fully managed replacement for legacy copper POTS lines, ideal for customers whose fire alarms, elevators, security systems, POS terminals, or fax lines are still riding copper.
- Built-in dual-SIM LTE/5G failover and up to 48 hours of battery backup, so life-safety and specialty lines stay compliant and online.
- Turnkey, nationwide deployment from pre-configured kits, so your customer isn’t managing a facility-by-facility migration on their own.
SIP Trunking and SIP PRI
- Converts a customer’s Lumen SIP or PRI trunk to MetTel service while keeping their existing PBX in place, minimizing disruption to their environment.
- Web-portal control and no CapEx, making this an easy swap to propose to a customer who just wants their dial tone to keep working.
Cloud PBX with Webex
- A full UCaaS platform that unifies voice, messaging, and video conferencing, a strong upgrade path for a customer moving off Lumen’s hosted or premise-based PBX.
- AI features in the Collaborate+ tier, including real-time transcription and meeting recaps, give you a modernization story, not just a replacement story.
Microsoft Teams External Voice: Direct Routing and Operator Connect
- Replaces a customer’s PBX and makes Microsoft Teams their primary calling platform, a direct fit for any customer currently on Lumen’s Teams or Zoom voice integration.
- Keeps call recording, auto-attendant, and analytics customers already rely on, so the pitch is continuity plus an upgrade, not a step backward.
Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), Powered by Talkdesk
- An AI-powered, omnichannel contact center that gives you a natural next offer once a customer’s voice conversation is already open, especially useful if their contact center still runs on aging, premise-based hardware.
- Over 30 security certifications and a 100% uptime call-quality guarantee, plus 60+ pre-built CRM integrations, give you a credible, enterprise-grade alternative to pitch alongside the voice migration.
Intelligent Call Recorder
- Secure, scalable call recording and storage, useful for compliance-driven customers (financial services, healthcare, government) who want documented continuity if they choose to move off Lumen.
Agent Incentives: Stack Your Commission on Every Lumen Win
MetTel is backing this opportunity with two active agent incentive programs that reward exactly the kind of deal a Lumen migration produces: a new-to-MetTel logo on a multi-year term.
POTS in a Box® Commission Boost
A boosted commission structure exclusively for new POTS Transformation Services activated using MetTel’s POTS in a Box (“PIAB”) devices.
- 300% upfront payment on qualifying PIAB line services.
- 18% residual commission on the same commissionable monthly recurring charges.
- 50% of the device activation fee as an additional one-time upfront payment.
- Applies to a 3-year (36-month) deal term, on new service orders sold between 6/1/2026 and 5/31/2027.
- Contact your MetTel Regional Sales Director for full terms and eligibility.
2026 Partner Agent Program: New Logo Promotion
For eligible new customers you bring to MetTel, earn a bonus equal to one full month’s Commissionable Revenue.
- 100% one-time bonus on eligible new-logo Commissionable Revenue.
- $10,000 minimum in Promo Services required to qualify.
- New customers only, with no prior MetTel relationship within the past 12 months.
- 36-month term required, with customers activated by December 31, 2026.
- Your existing upfront payments and residuals on other accounts are not affected.
- A signed Terms & Conditions form is required to enroll; contact your MetTel Channel Director to get started.
Because most Lumen accounts will be new logos for MetTel, a POTS Transformation deal closed under this program can combine the PIAB Commission Boost with the New Logo Promotion bonus, compounding your payout on the same account. Confirm current eligibility and stacking rules with your MetTel Channel Director before you submit.
Agent Checklist: How to Approach the Potential Lumen Opportunity With Your Customers
Use this checklist to work systematically through your book, from identifying exposure to closing the first deal and expanding it.
Step 1: Identify Your Current Lumen Customers
- Pull your full book of business and flag every account currently billed through Lumen (or its legacy brands, including CenturyLink and Level 3 contracts).
- Cross-reference contract end dates; accounts renewing in the next two to three quarters carry the highest exposure if Lumen continues shifting away from voice as reported.
- Prioritize accounts using Lumen voice-specific products (SIP, Voice Complete, Teams/Zoom voice integration) over accounts using only non-voice Lumen services.
- Note which accounts you learned about through this channel notice versus ones you already knew were on Lumen. Undocumented accounts are your highest-priority outreach.
Step 2: Assess What Voice and Connectivity Services the Customer Is Currently Using
Before proposing a replacement, confirm exactly what’s in place. Ask the customer (or check existing documentation) for:
- Line type: copper POTS lines, SIP trunks, PRI circuits, or a fully hosted/cloud PBX.
- Line count and locations, including any specialty lines (fire alarm, elevator, security, fax, POS) still on analog copper.
- Collaboration platform in use for voice: Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Zoom, or a legacy on-prem PBX.
- Contact center platform, if any, and whether it’s cloud-based or premise-hardware dependent.
- Current contract term, renewal date, and whether the customer has received any notice from Lumen about compensation or product changes.
- Any compliance requirements (HIPAA, PCI, government/FedRAMP) that affect which replacement solution fits.
Step 3: Confirm Contract and Compensation Status
- Verify whether the customer’s existing Lumen voice contract is still active and whether Lumen is still paying you commission on it today.
- Flag any account nearing renewal so you can present a MetTel alternative before the customer defaults into an uncompensated, unsupported renewal.
- Document the transition timeline your customer needs (immediate cutover vs. phased migration) so you can bring the right MetTel solution and implementation plan to the conversation.
Step 4: Open the Conversation with Voice, Then Expand It
Voice is the reason for the call, but it doesn’t have to be the whole deal. Once you’re in front of the customer discussing their voice migration, use it as the natural opening to a broader connectivity conversation:
- Ask about their current internet access and redundancy: are they running a single circuit that would leave them offline if it failed, an opening for MetTel’s Access solutions (broadband, DIA, Ethernet, 4G/5G backup, Starlink)?
- Ask how their locations are networked together: a Lumen voice customer with multiple sites is very often also a SASE/SD-WAN candidate.
- Ask about their mobile and laptop fleet: growing remote or field teams are strong candidates for MetTel’s Mobile Device as a Service and Connected Laptop as a Service (CLaaS).
- Ask about their contact center: if voice is moving, their contact center licensing and hardware are often on the same aging footprint and due for the same conversation.
- Position MetTel as a single-source provider: one contract, one portal, and one 24/7/365 U.S.-based support organization across voice, security, access, and mobility, so the customer isn’t trading one point vendor for another.
Step 5: Package and Submit the Opportunity
- Document the customer’s current environment, contract timeline, and target solution set using the notes gathered in Steps 2 through 4.
- Engage your MetTel channel manager early. This is a time-sensitive, competitive situation given the reported shift, and MetTel’s team can help scope the migration and pricing quickly.
- Ask whether the account qualifies for the POTS in a Box Commission Boost or the 2026 New Logo Promotion, and confirm any stacking rules before you submit.
- Set a follow-up cadence with the customer through contract signature and cutover, so the account stays yours through the full transition, not just the initial call.
Beyond Voice: Position MetTel as a Complete Connectivity Portfolio for Your Customers
A voice migration is the easiest door to open with a Lumen customer right now, but it’s rarely the only need in the account. MetTel gives agents a full portfolio to bring the same customer back to for follow-on business:
- SASE / SD-WAN and Security: SASE, SD-WAN, SSE, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Firewall as a Service, and DDoS protection for customers consolidating security and network management.
- Access: broadband, Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), Ethernet, 4G/5G wireless backup, managed Wi-Fi, and Starlink satellite connectivity, available through MetTel’s Access portfolio.
- Mobility: Mobile Device as a Service, Mobile Threat Defense, IoT SingleSIM, and Connected Fleet as a Service.
- Connected Laptop as a Service (CLaaS): a multi-carrier, network-agnostic offering that ships fully provisioned, always-connected laptops directly to a customer’s end users, with MDM enrollment and full lifecycle and replacement support managed through MetTel’s Customer Portal.
Because all of these run on the same MetTel network, portal, and support organization as the voice solutions above, every voice migration you close is also a warm entry point to the rest of a customer’s connectivity spend.
Turn This Moment Into Your Next Win
If the reports from Channel Dive are accurate, Lumen’s shift from voice represents a rare, limited-time opportunity: a large, identifiable base of customers who may need a new voice provider soon, and a portfolio behind MetTel voice solutions built to be the answer. Work your book, confirm what each customer is running, open the conversation with voice, and use MetTel’s full connectivity, security, and mobility portfolio, plus the active PIAB Commission Boost and New Logo Promotion, to grow every account you touch. Get started with MetTel and connect smarter with your customers.
Frequently Asked Questions for Channel Agents
What do reports of a Lumen shift from voice mean for my customers?
According to Channel Dive, Lumen has stopped selling new voice products and will no longer compensate partners on voice renewals (Channel Dive). The same reporting indicates Lumen is still honoring active voice contracts for now (Channel Dive), but customers on Lumen SIP, PRI, hosted PBX, or Teams/Zoom voice integration should watch for shrinking support and less product investment as their contracts near renewal, if these reports hold.
How do I know if a customer is on Lumen voice services?
Start with your book of business and flag every account billed through Lumen or its legacy brands (CenturyLink, Level 3). Confirm which of those accounts use voice-specific products, such as SIP trunking, PRI, hosted PBX, or Microsoft Teams/Zoom external calling, since those are the services Channel Dive’s reporting says are most affected by Lumen’s reported shift.
What is the fastest MetTel voice solution to replace a Lumen SIP or PRI service?
MetTel’s SIP Trunking and SIP PRI solutions are built to convert an existing trunk to MetTel service while a customer keeps their current PBX in place, minimizing disruption and enabling a quick cutover for customers who primarily want continuity of service.
Are there additional incentives for agents who move Lumen customers to MetTel?
Yes. MetTel’s POTS in a Box Commission Boost offers a 300% upfront payment, 18% residual commission, and 50% of the device activation fee on new POTS Transformation Services sold through 5/31/2027, and the 2026 Partner Agent Program New Logo Promotion adds a 100% one-time bonus on eligible new customers activated by December 31, 2026. Many Lumen displacement deals qualify for both; confirm stacking rules with your MetTel Channel Director.
What other services can I cross-sell once a customer moves their voice to MetTel?
Once voice is in motion, ask about the customer’s internet redundancy, multi-site networking, mobile and laptop fleet, and contact center platform. These conversations map directly to MetTel’s SASE/SD-WAN, Access, Mobility, and Connected Laptop as a Service (CLaaS) offerings, letting a single voice migration open the door to a broader connectivity deal.