Telecom Equipment Recycling & ITAD
Network equipment end-of-life processing, recycling, and secure data destruction for telecommunications companies.
- R2-aligned downstream
- Chain-of-custody documentation
- NIST 800-88 sanitization
- Free Houston-area pickup
Network Infrastructure Specialists
Telecom companies generate massive volumes of retired network equipment during infrastructure upgrades and technology transitions. EverTrade specializes in responsible end-of-life processing for enterprise networking gear with documented chain-of-custody and certified downstream partners.
- Equipment Recycling: Free pickup for Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and enterprise networking gear.
- Config Wiping: All network configs securely erased before recycling or material recovery.
- Bulk Processing: Handle thousands of devices per project.
- Compliance Tracking: Full inventory and disposition documentation.
Equipment We Handle
- Routers, switches & firewalls
- Fiber & copper cabling
- Cell tower electronics
- PBX & VoIP systems
- UPS, PDUs, rack hardware
Telecom decommissions recover more than the average load
Network gear is dense in printed circuit boards, copper interconnects, and refined metals. Compared to mixed-electronics pickups, telecom decommissions deliver disproportionate value through structured recovery — not just landfill diversion.
- Switch and router populations carry high copper and gold-bearing PCB content
- Decommissioned cabling — copper feeder, cross-connect, distribution — is direct material
- Power supplies, UPS units, and battery strings carry refined-metal value
- Full lots are processed for recovery, not bulk-sold downstream
Telecom Decommissioning Waves
Telecom equipment retires in predictable waves driven by industry-wide transitions. Understanding the cadence helps owners and IT managers plan refreshes, and lets us schedule pickups that fit yours.
5G build-out and 4G/LTE displacement
Houston is a major 5G rollout market — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are layering 5G on top of existing 4G/LTE infrastructure, while tower companies (Crown Castle, American Tower, SBA) coordinate radio refreshes across hundreds of sites. Displaced 4G eNodeB equipment, microwave gear, and legacy line cards flow off-tower in predictable waves.
Copper-to-fiber transitions
ILECs and CLECs across the metro are replacing legacy copper feeder and distribution plant with fiber. Each fiber install generates retired copper cabling, cross-connect frame teardowns, and decommissioned PBX/POTS gear from the customer-premise side.
Central office consolidation + datacenter refresh
Energy Corridor and Westchase colocation facilities run server-and-network refresh cycles every 3–5 years. Oil & gas private telecom infrastructure (microwave links, SCADA, fiber, two-way radio) follows 5–10 year cadences. Both cycles produce material-dense pickups.
Useful Life & Refresh Cadence: Industry Standards
Useful-life isn't one number. It depends on whether equipment is active (switches, APs, endpoints) or passive (cabling, racks). Active gear is bound by manufacturer end-of-software dates and security-patch availability. Passive infrastructure is bound by the bandwidth-generation it was designed for.
For mission-critical and safety-coupled systems (911 PSAPs, fire-alarm comms, SCADA), refresh cadences are shorter and standards-driven (NFPA 72, ISO 22301, NERC CIP). The table below summarizes typical bands and the standards / references that apply.
| Equipment class | Typical useful life | Refresh trigger events | Standards / references |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer 2/3 switches, routers, firewalls | 5–7 yrs | Mfr End-of-Software / End-of-Vulnerability-Support; loss of security patches | Cisco IOS lifecycle policy; Juniper EOL matrix; IRS Pub 946 (network: 5-yr asset class) |
| Wireless APs / WLAN controllers | 3–5 yrs | Wi-Fi generation transitions (5 → 6 → 6E → 7); throughput ceiling vs. requirement | IEEE 802.11 transitions; ISO/IEC 27001 vulnerability-patching expectations |
| PBX / VoIP / SIP systems | 7–10 yrs | SIP / codec deprecation; manufacturer support cutoff | ITIL service-management refresh guidance; mfr EOL policies (Avaya, Mitel, Cisco UC) |
| Structured cabling (Cat 5e/6/6a, fiber) | 15–25 yrs (passive) | Bandwidth ceiling vs. site requirement; ISO/IEC 11801 generation gap | ISO/IEC 11801 cabling standard; NEC Article 800 fire-rating; OSHA 1910.305 grounding |
| UPS / battery backup | 5–7 yrs (battery) / 10–15 yrs (chassis) | Battery degradation; fire-safety inspection cycle | NFPA 70 / OSHA 1910.305; manufacturer battery-replacement schedule |
| Tower / outside-plant electronics (BTS, RRU, microwave) | 7–12 yrs | RAN generation upgrade (4G → 5G); FCC license condition changes | ANSI/TIA-222 tower load standards; FCC Part 27 license obligations |
| IP phones / endpoint hardware | 5–7 yrs | Firmware / OS deprecation; security-patch availability ends | Manufacturer EOL; ISO 27001 A.8.1 vulnerability management |
| Mission-critical / safety-coupled gear (911 PSAP, fire alarm comms, SCADA) | 3–5 yrs (driven by reliability budget) | Fail-safe redundancy; standards-mandated replacement cycles | NFPA 72 fire-alarm code; ISO 22301 BCMS; NERC CIP (utility sector) |
Useful-life ranges are general guidance based on common industry practice and standards references. They do not constitute tax, legal, or compliance advice. Consult your tax advisor and applicable standards (FAR, GAAP, sector regulators) for asset-class determination specific to your organization.
Telecom Equipment We Recycle
Across customer-premise, transport, and core, here's the gear we routinely process for Houston-area telecom operators and contractors.
Network Core
- Cisco / Juniper / Arista / Aruba switches
- Routers (CRS, ASR, MX, Catalyst lines)
- Firewalls (ASA, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Check Point)
- Line cards, supervisor / route-engine modules
- BTS / RRU / DAS components
Cabling & Transmission
- Cat 5e / 6 / 6a copper
- Single-mode and multi-mode fiber
- Patch panels, cross-connect frames
- ONUs, MUX, OLT / ONT
- Fiber distribution frames, splice trays
Customer & Edge
- PBX / VoIP systems (Avaya, Mitel, Cisco UC)
- SIP gateways, session border controllers
- IP phones, conferencing endpoints
- Structured cabling components, racks
- UPS, PDUs, rack-mount KVM and monitors
Telecom-Specific Services
Network Equipment End-of-Life Processing
Responsible end-of-life processing for enterprise Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and other brand networking equipment, with material recovery routed to certified downstream partners.
Secure Config Destruction
All routing tables, VPN configs, and customer data permanently erased via secure data destruction before disposition.
Data Center & CO Cleanouts
Complete central office and data center decommissioning with equipment removal, palletizing, and freight.
Free planning tools
Use our free tools to plan refresh cycles and quantify the recycling value.
What a typical telecom engagement looks like
Most telecom pickups follow the same five-step rhythm. Here's exactly what working with EverTrade looks like — and what a typical mid-market load contains. (Real anonymized customer case studies will replace this section as they become available.)
- 1
Reach out
Use the form below, call us at (832) 777-3002, or message us through the chat widget. We respond within one business day.
- 2
15-minute scoping call
We confirm what you have, where it is, and your timeline. No pressure — sometimes the call is just to map a future refresh.
- 3
Schedule pickup
Free pickup, on your timeline. One-time or recurring cadence — we work around your operations schedule.
- 4
On-site retrieval
Equipment is inventoried at uplift, palletized, and freighted to our Houston facility. GPS-tracked logistics.
- 5
Documentation
You receive a chain-of-custody log, certificates of recycling and (where applicable) data destruction, and an environmental impact summary.
Telecom service tiers
Pick the engagement that matches your decommission scope and compliance posture.
Standard
One-time decommission pickup
- Free pickup within 15-mile Houston radius
- Material recovery report
- Chain-of-custody documentation
- Standard 5-business-day completion
Compliance+
Audit-ready data destruction + ITAD
- Everything in Standard
- NIST 800-88 sanitization with serialized certificates
- Photo + video evidence of destruction events
- Pre-scheduled destruction within 72 hours
- Named project contact during engagement
Annual Partner
Recurring decommission cadence + multi-site
- Everything in Compliance+
- Quarterly business review with material recovery summary
- Multi-site coordination across Houston + 15-mile radius
- Priority scheduling for emergency decommissions
- Dedicated account manager
Telecom decommission FAQ
Are you R2-certified?
EverTrade is R2-aligned and processes material through R2-certified downstream partners. We do not currently hold direct R2 certification ourselves; recyclable streams that require R2 handling are routed through certified specialty processors.
How do you handle data-bearing assets?
Hard drives, SSDs, switches with onboard config, and other data-bearing media are sanitized per NIST 800-88 guidelines or physically destroyed by request. Each data-bearing asset is logged with serial number, sanitization method, and date.
What's included in 'free pickup'?
Free pickup covers labor and transport within a 15-mile Houston radius for qualified loads. Pickup includes loading from your dock or designated staging area. Specialty handling (after-hours, weekend, or hazmat-adjacent material) is priced separately.
How fast can you schedule a pickup?
Standard pickup scheduling is 3-5 business days. Compliance+ engagements can be scheduled within 72 hours for time-sensitive decommissions. Annual Partner accounts get priority scheduling for emergencies.
Can you handle multi-site decommissions across Houston?
Yes. Multi-site rollups within the 15-mile Houston radius are common, especially for telecom carriers consolidating central offices or replacing edge equipment. Annual Partner engagements include coordination across all your Houston-area sites.
When do I get the certificate of destruction?
Certificates of destruction are issued within 5 business days of the destruction event. Each certificate includes serialized asset records, sanitization method, destruction date, and an authorized signature.
What kinds of telecom equipment do you process?
Network core (routers, switches, firewalls, line cards), wireless (eNodeB, microwave, antennas, fiber radios), structured cabling (Cat 5e/6/6a, fiber, copper feeder), legacy plant (PBX, POTS, cross-connect frames), and supporting infrastructure (UPS, power supplies, racks). See the equipment gallery section above for a more complete list.
Upgrade Your Network. We'll Handle the Old Gear.
Contact us to schedule a free pickup for your network equipment recycling and disposal.