AT&T copper line shutoffs can begin November 15 across 18 states

AT&T has FCC approval to begin permanently discontinuing legacy copper phone service on or after November 15, 2026, for approximately 90,000 customers across portions of 1,060 wire centers in 18 states. The November 15 date is the earliest shutoffs can begin, not a single cutoff day for all affected locations.

The November 15 tranche is part of a broader retirement program. AT&T currently holds FCC approval to discontinue copper service across more than 30 percent of its roughly 4,600 wire centers, and has grandfathering approval — meaning no new copper orders can be taken — across more than 85 percent of its footprint. Physical copper decommissioning in the first wave of approximately 500 wire centers began in June 2026. The company's stated goal is to retire the large majority of its copper network outside California by the end of 2029; California's approved wire centers have a separate earliest discontinuance date of June 1, 2027. AT&T is offering affected business customers a replacement called AT&T Phone for Business – Advanced at $99.99 per month, as well as IP Flexible Reach and Office@Hand.

Businesses in AT&T's service territory — particularly those still using plain old telephone service (POTS) lines for fax machines, alarm systems, elevator phones, point-of-sale terminals, or other analog equipment — should confirm whether their location is within an affected wire center and, if so, identify which services depend on copper. Life-safety systems such as fire alarms and elevator emergency phones often require separate consideration because they may have certification requirements tied to the communication method.