AT&T CEO John Stankey told investors on Oct. 21 that the company is “on track to reach our target of discontinuing copper-based services in 50% of our wire centers outside of California” by the end of 2027, “and substantially all of them by the end of 2029.”
Wire centers are the local switching offices that run traditional landlines. Stankey said AT&T already has more than 100 of them with no copper customers left, and the company has shut off copper service in more than 500 communities covering 1.3 million locations across 18 states.
Older households are most affected. In the second half of 2024, 57.9% of adults 65 and older lived in homes with only wireless phones, compared with 78% of all adults.
1. Your old phone may not work with the replacement
AT&T’s main substitute, AT&T Phone-Advanced, runs over the company’s cellular network or your home internet connection. You keep your number and plug your existing phone into a small device that should sit on the first or second floor, near a window or an outside wall.
Rotary and pulse-dial phones are not supported. If the phone on your kitchen wall still has a dial, plan on replacing it with a touch-tone model.
2. A power outage works differently
A copper landline can keep working when a storm knocks out the electricity, which is one reason AARP says older adults rely on it to reach 911. The new setup depends on household power and a battery.
The Phone-Advanced unit has a built-in battery rated for 24 hours, but AT&T notes that it does not power the devices connected to it, and cordless phones generally need their own power to place any call, including to 911.
The company’s battery-backup guidance suggests a battery that lasts up to 24 hours for anyone with medical or safety needs, and AT&T sells extra batteries for an additional fee.
A corded phone and a charged cellphone in a drawer cover most of the gap.
3. Test medical alerts and alarms before the copper is gone
Medical alert systems, home security panels and fax machines were built around copper lines. AT&T says Phone-Advanced can provide lines for alarm, medical monitoring and other analog data services.
AARP notes that assistive devices for people with hearing, vision, or mobility impairments may need an adapter or backup battery, possibly at an extra cost.
Call the monitoring company before the switch, then send a test signal after it. A medical alert pendant that cannot reach its call center gives no warning that it has stopped working.
4. Compare the price with what you pay now
Phone-Advanced costs $45 a month for unlimited nationwide calling, or $50 with international calling, plus taxes and fees. The equipment is a one-time $1 charge.
Line that up against your current landline bill, and read the line items closely, since some carriers add fees that look like taxes but are not.
If the landline mostly rings with robocalls, a cellphone alone may do the job, and smaller wireless carriers can cost far less than the big three.
Low-income households may qualify for a monthly discount through the federal Lifeline program.
5. Verify anyone who calls about the switch
A change this big invites impostors. AARP advises against trusting anyone who claims to be from the phone company until you verify it, so call the number on your bill instead of one a caller gives you.
Once you reach AT&T, ask whether you keep your number and your phones, whether the old line stays active until the new service works, and whom to call if something fails.
California and Verizon customers are on a different clock
California is the exception in Stankey’s timeline. The FCC cleared AT&T to end copper voice service in parts of about 360 of its 615 California wire centers on or after June 1, 2027, though AT&T is still fighting state regulators over California’s own rules.
Verizon is moving, too. In August, it asked the FCC to end copper landline service in parts of nine states, affecting about 277,000 residential and business lines, and the agency paused that request in September for further review.
If you receive a notice that your copper service is ending, the dates in it are the ones that count. Start with the medical alert test before it lands.
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