Verizon has asked the Federal Communications Commission for approval to discontinue traditional copper landline phone service in nine states, a move that would affect approximately 277,000 residential and business legacy voice lines. In its FCC filing, Verizon said it seeks to retire plain old telephone service, known as POTS, in portions of Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. The carrier said it spends billions of dollars annually maintaining its legacy copper network, citing the rising cost of copper, difficulty procuring replacement parts for obsolete equipment, and vulnerability to theft. Verizon said that if the FCC approves the transition, it will be able to direct investment toward high-speed networks and away from maintaining legacy copper networks. The request follows AT&T, which is also transitioning away from its legacy copper landline network and expects to complete that change in 2029. Verizon has told customers that no immediate action is required and that service will continue without interruption, and that affected customers will receive written notice of a change that, subject to FCC approval, would occur on or after November 30, 2026.
Verizon Communications IncVerizon seeks FCC approval to retire costly copper landline service in nine states, freeing investment for high-speed networks.
AT&T Inc.