AT&T copper retirement: what the notice means for your building

Who this page is for

• You received a letter from AT&T saying a phone service at one of your buildings will be discontinued.
• You manage elevator phones, fire alarm lines or call boxes on AT&T copper.
• You want the actual dates and rules, not headlines.
• You need to decide between AT&T’s replacement and other options.

What the letter usually says

AT&T’s example notice in its December 2025 application tells customers their current plan “will be discontinued on November 15, 2026.” It offers a move to AT&T Phone - Advanced or an AT&T wireless plan, and explains how to comment to the FCC (AT&T filing).

The letter is addressed to the account, not to the device. It does not tell you that line 3 is the elevator and line 4 is the fire panel. That part is your job, and it is the first thing to do.

Two FCC processes: copper retirement and discontinuance

Carriers use two different procedures, and the notice you got may come from either.

Copper retirement (network change). The carrier replaces its copper facilities with fiber or wireless. Under the FCC’s March 2026 order (FCC 26-19):

• Carriers no longer file these network change disclosures with the FCC, and the FCC no longer issues public notices for copper retirements.
• Carriers must still post public notice through industry forums, publications or a public website.
• They must give direct notice to interconnected providers and to 911 service providers.
• A copper retirement that also discontinues a service still needs FCC approval under Section 214.

Service discontinuance (Section 214). The carrier stops offering a service, such as AT&T Business Local Exchange Access Line Service. The same order:

• Gives every discontinuance application a 31-day automatic grant period, unless the FCC acts otherwise.
• Replaces the old Adequate Replacement Test and Alternative Options Test with one rule: an application is streamlined if one of five replacement services is available throughout the area, such as facilities-based VoIP or mobile wireless at 5/1 Mbps or faster.
• Requires carriers to notify customers no later than the filing date, with information on replacement options.
• Finds that federal law preempts state and local rules that needlessly constrain IP network deployment.

How the rules got here. In March 2025 the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau issued temporary waivers, including a two-year waiver of network change filing requirements (FCC 25-37). The FCC proposed permanent rules in July 2025 and adopted them on March 26, 2026. I have not confirmed the effective date [VERIFICAR].

Comment windows. In the FCC public notices I reviewed, comments were due 15 days after release. For example, notice DA 25-990 was released November 25, 2025, with comments due December 10.

What AT&T has announced, with dates

Date	What happened	Source
Dec. 3, 2024	AT&T says it is working to exit legacy copper operations across the large majority of its wireline footprint by the end of 2029	AT&T release
July 2025	Application for about 21,000 customers in parts of 17 states; discontinuance on or after June 30, 2026	AT&T filing
Nov. 3 to 14, 2025	Customer notices mailed for the next application	AT&T filing
Dec. 1, 2025	Application for about 90,000 customers in parts of 18 states; discontinuance on or after Nov. 15, 2026	AT&T filing
Jan. 12, 2026	AT&T says the FCC approved discontinuing copper-based services in an additional 25% of its wire centers	AT&T
Mar. 26, 2026	FCC adopts the new network change and discontinuance rules	FCC 26-19
Apr. 23, 2026	Application for 236 customers in parts of 39 wire centers, citing road construction; on or after July 14, 2026	AT&T filing
May 20, 2026	California application for about 15,000 business customers in parts of 360 wire centers; on or after June 1, 2027	AT&T filing

The 18 states in the December 2025 application are listed in the FAQ below. Coverage is by wire center, not by whole state.

State actions: the California example

California is where AT&T’s plan meets the most resistance.

• On June 28, 2024, the California Public Utilities Commission rejected AT&T’s request to withdraw as carrier of last resort, and opened a new rulemaking on those rules (CPUC).
• The CPUC also said its carrier of last resort rules are technology-neutral and do not stop AT&T from retiring copper facilities.
• The rulemaking, R.24-06-012, held workshops through August 2025 (CPUC).
• On May 20, 2026, AT&T asked the FCC to declare that California rules conditioning its POTS discontinuance are preempted. The FCC took comments through July 7, 2026, in WC Docket No. 26-125 (DA 26-520).

In other states, AT&T serves copies of its applications on the state commission. The Florida Public Service Commission copies are the ones I used here. Your state commission’s docket is a good place to look for filings that name your area.

What to do when you get a notice

1. Read the details. Write down the service name, the service address, the date and the docket number.
2. Match the notice to your lines. Use the account number and the bill. The property manager inventory steps work for any building.
3. Flag the life-safety lines. Call your elevator contractor and your fire alarm company the same week. See elevator phone lines and fire alarm communicators.
4. Get quotes. Ask AT&T for its replacement terms in writing, and get at least one independent quote.
5. Comment if you need to. If the change puts a safety system at risk and you need more time, the notice explains how to tell the FCC.
6. Cut over before the date. Keep the copper line until the new path passes testing.

What AT&T offers vs independent options

Option	Best for	How it works	Pricing info	Pros	Cons
AT&T Phone - Advanced (home)	Residential lines	Device on AT&T’s network, broadband first and cellular backup	$45.00 per month plus taxes and fees, as of October 2026 (AT&T)	Keeps the number	Battery does not power connected devices; no 911 without power
AT&T Phone for Business - Advanced (now AT&T Business Voice)	Simple business voice, fax and alarm lines	AT&T device on its LTE network	$99.99 per month before taxes and fees, with an AT&T-owned device, per AT&T’s filings	Offered in the notice; an FCC public notice on another carrier’s application describes it as an adequate replacement (DA 26-137)	Single carrier; notices do not address elevators or fire panels
AT&T wireless plan	Single voice lines	A mobile line	Not listed in the notices	Simple	Not for alarm panels or elevators
Independent POTS in a box	Mixed lines in one building	Managed LTE device, often dual carrier	Quote only; see POTS in a box	Several line types per device, monitoring portal	Another vendor contract
Dedicated communicators	Fire alarm panels, elevator phones	Listed device installed by the system’s contractor	Dealer pricing	Fits the AHJ and monitoring company	One contract per system

AT&T’s notices describe AP-A as supporting “phone calls, fax machines, alarms, medical monitoring, and 911 access.” Its April 2026 filing adds that the battery lasts about 24 hours on standby and does not power medical or security monitoring equipment.

What the numbers in AT&T’s filings show

AT&T’s December 2025 application says its legacy business line averages about $1,700 per month at listed rates, while most business customers pay an effective rate under $200 per month. In California, AT&T gives a guidebook rate of about $2,700 per month before discounts.

Compare your own bill, not these averages. The POTS cost calculator shows what your lines cost now against any quote.

My recommendation by scenario

• If your notice covers 1 to 3 plain voice or fax lines: AT&T’s replacement may be the simplest choice. Get the terms in writing.
• If the notice covers an elevator or fire alarm line: treat those lines separately and ask the inspector and fire marshal what they accept. AT&T’s notices don’t address them.
• If you manage many buildings: use the notice dates to schedule waves, and compare one independent provider across the portfolio. See POTS replacement for property managers.
• If you are a school or district: align the life-safety cutover with breaks, but never past the notice date. See POTS replacement for schools.
• If you are in California: the timeline is longer, but AT&T has filed. Start the inventory now.

Common mistakes

1. Assuming the letter covers every line. It covers the service and address named. Other accounts may get different dates.
2. Waiting for the FCC to deny it. The 31-day automatic grant makes approval the default.
3. Accepting the default offer for a fire panel. Ask the alarm company and the AHJ first.
4. Cancelling copper before the new line passes tests. Keep both until acceptance.
5. Losing the notice. It has the docket number and the date you will need.

The full comparison of approaches and providers is in the POTS line replacement guide, and terms like Section 214 are in the glossary. If you already have a notice, send it to me with your line list.