Copper Retirement
Tracker
Where AT&T, Lumen, Frontier, Windstream, and Consolidated are retiring copper — state by state, with FCC Section 214 grant status where a shut-off has actually been authorized. This snapshot reflects program status, not filed per-address dates; wire-center-level dates are the next data release. Compiled from federal filings and carrier statements. Free to cite with attribution.
What is copper retirement?
Copper retirement is the carrier-by-carrier decommissioning of the legacy copper telephone network — the physical lines behind POTS service, analog alarm and elevator circuits, fax lines, and older DSL. As of June 2025 the US had 15.0 million POTS lines still in service, per the FCC's voice services data, and copper last-mile subscriptions fell 81% between 2014 and 2024. Carriers are replacing copper with fiber and wireless, and in March 2026 the FCC removed most of the federal process that used to slow retirements down. For a business, the practical question is not whether copper goes away — it is whether you replace it on your schedule or on your carrier's.
The numbers that matter
>30%
of AT&T wire centers approved for POTS discontinuance outside California, as of Jan 2026
Source: FCC WC 25-228 / 25-333
State-by-state program status
| State | Carrier | Program status | FCC Section 214 status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen AL copper exit | — |
| Arkansas | AT&T | AT&T Arkansas copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Arkansas | Windstream | Windstream AR rural copper retirement | — |
| California | AT&T | AT&T California NID-to-fiber program active | Granted Jun 29, 2026 — shut-off on/after Jun 1, 2027 in portions of 360 wire centers (WC 26-120) |
| California | Frontier | Frontier CA copper retirement active | — |
| Colorado | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen CO mass-market copper exit | Granted Jun 20, 2025 — six Colorado locations (WC 25-177), the first grant citing mobile wireless as the replacement service |
| Connecticut | Frontier | Frontier CT copper-to-fiber active — high priority | — |
| Florida | AT&T | AT&T Florida copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Florida | Frontier | Frontier FL copper retirement | — |
| Georgia | AT&T | AT&T Georgia copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Georgia | Windstream | Windstream GA rural copper retirement | — |
| Idaho | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen ID copper exit | — |
| Illinois | AT&T | AT&T Illinois copper retirement program active | Program active — no granted Section 214 application in the 2025–26 tranches |
| Indiana | AT&T | AT&T Indiana copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Iowa | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen IA copper exit | Granted Apr 9, 2026 — Laurens and Renwick wire centers (WC 26-55) |
| Kansas | AT&T | AT&T Kansas copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Kentucky | Windstream | Windstream KY rural copper retirement | — |
| Louisiana | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen LA copper exit | — |
| Maine | Consolidated Communications | Consolidated ME copper retirement | Jul 2025 filing covers legacy voice at 45,000+ locations across ME, NH, VT |
| Michigan | AT&T | AT&T Michigan copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Minnesota | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen MN copper exit | — |
| Missouri | AT&T | AT&T Missouri copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Montana | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen MT copper exit | — |
| Nebraska | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen NE copper exit | — |
| Nevada | AT&T | AT&T Nevada copper retirement ongoing | Program active — no granted Section 214 application in the 2025–26 tranches |
| New Hampshire | Consolidated Communications | Consolidated NH copper-to-fiber migration | Jul 2025 filing covers legacy voice at 45,000+ locations across ME, NH, VT |
| New Mexico | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen NM copper exit | — |
| New York | Frontier | Frontier NY copper retirement | — |
| North Carolina | Windstream | Windstream NC rural copper retirement | — |
| North Dakota | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen ND copper exit | — |
| Ohio | AT&T | AT&T Ohio copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Ohio | Frontier | Frontier OH copper retirement | — |
| Oklahoma | AT&T | AT&T Oklahoma copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Oregon | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen OR copper exit | — |
| Pennsylvania | Frontier | Frontier PA copper retirement | — |
| South Carolina | Windstream | Windstream SC rural copper retirement | — |
| South Dakota | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen SD copper exit | — |
| Tennessee | AT&T | AT&T Tennessee copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Texas | AT&T | AT&T Texas copper retirement ongoing — multiple WCs filed | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Texas | Frontier | Frontier TX legacy copper retirement | — |
| Vermont | Consolidated Communications | Consolidated VT copper-to-fiber migration | Jul 2025 filing covers legacy voice at 45,000+ locations across ME, NH, VT |
| Washington | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen WA copper exit | — |
| West Virginia | Frontier | Frontier WV copper retirement | — |
| Wisconsin | AT&T | AT&T Wisconsin copper retirement ongoing | Granted — shut-off authorized on/after Jun 30, 2026 (WC 25-228); further areas on/after Nov 15, 2026 (WC 25-333) |
| Wyoming | Lumen (CenturyLink) | Lumen WY copper exit | — |
Carrier program notes
AT&T holds the largest approved footprint. The FCC granted its first tranche in August 2025 (WC 25-228: POTS in portions of wire centers across 17 states, shut-off authorized on or after June 30, 2026) and a second in January 2026 (WC 25-333: 18 states including Kansas, on or after November 15, 2026). Beyond the states in the table above, those grants also cover Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. California was granted separately in June 2026 (WC 26-120: portions of 360 wire centers, on or after June 1, 2027). AT&T's stated goal, per its Form 10-K, is to exit copper across the large majority of its footprint by the end of 2029.
Lumen (CenturyLink) runs a steady sequence of small, wire-center-level discontinuances. Its June 2025 Colorado grant was the first to cite mobile wireless service as the adequate replacement, and further filings continued through 2026. Frontier became a Verizon company in January 2026 and continues targeted filings rather than a wholesale exit pledge. Verizon itself received grants in June 2026 covering legacy voice-grade services across nine eastern states; those territories join this tracker at the next data refresh. Windstream shows targeted legacy-service discontinuances with no announced wholesale copper exit. Consolidated Communications filed in July 2025 to discontinue legacy voice at more than 45,000 locations across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
The rules changed in March 2026
On March 26, 2026 the FCC adopted FCC 26-19, which eliminated the federal filing, public-notice, and objection process for copper retirements. Carriers now publish notice themselves and must directly notify interconnecting carriers and 911 entities at least 90 days before retiring copper. The order also grants blanket authority to grandfather legacy voice services, applies a 31-day auto-grant to discontinuance applications, and preempts conflicting state requirements. Most provisions took effect May 20, 2026. The practical effect for buyers: less formal warning than before. The letter from your carrier may be the first and only signal, and the clock it starts is the carrier's, not the FCC's.
Common questions
What is copper retirement?
Copper retirement is the decommissioning of legacy copper telephone networks — the wiring behind POTS lines, analog circuits, and older DSL. Carriers are replacing copper with fiber and wireless because the old network is expensive to maintain and shrinking fast: 15.0 million POTS lines remained in the US as of June 2025, down 81% on copper last-mile subscriptions since 2014. When a carrier retires copper in your area, anything running on those lines must move.
How much notice will my business get before copper is retired?
Less than before. In March 2026 the FCC eliminated its filing, public-notice, and objection process for copper retirements (order FCC 26-19). Carriers now post notice themselves and must directly notify interconnecting carriers and 911 entities at least 90 days ahead — but there is no fixed federal warning period for end customers. Treat the letter from your carrier as the clock. It may be the only formal signal you receive.
Do I have to move off POTS lines?
Eventually, yes. The FCC now grants carriers blanket authority to grandfather legacy voice services and a 31-day auto-grant applies to discontinuance applications, so the direction is one-way. Grandfathering can delay the shut-off for existing lines, but it does not reverse it. Businesses that plan the replacement before a deadline forces it keep leverage on price, timing, and technology choice.
Our fire alarm panel uses a phone line. What are the rules for replacing it?
Fire alarm communication is governed by NFPA 72. Since the 2013 edition, a dialer may use one phone line plus a second transmission path of a different technology, and cellular or IP communicators are permitted — including as a single supervised path under recent editions. The edition your local authority enforces governs. Swapping a POTS line for VoIP without upgrading the communicator can silently put the system out of compliance.
What about elevator emergency phones?
Elevator communication is governed by ASME A17.1, which requires monitored two-way communication from the car to a location staffed around the clock. The 2019 and later editions add two-way messaging and video assessment requirements. A copper line is not required — cellular replacements are acceptable if the path is monitored, powered, and meets the edition your jurisdiction enforces. Coordinate the elevator vendor and the line replacement together.
Why did our POTS bill jump?
Legacy line pricing was deregulated, and carriers price copper to push migration. Industry estimates put typical business POTS at $65–$100 or more per line per month in 2026, with documented escalations running to several hundred dollars per line. Government price data points the same direction: the consumer price index for residential phone service has outpaced overall inflation by a wide margin since 2015.
What does CHNLSYNC’s help cost?
Nothing. CHNLSYNC is paid a commission by the supplier you choose, the same way an insurance broker is paid by carriers. Buyers never receive an invoice from us, and a human broker reviews every recommendation before a supplier is named.
Change log
- Tracker launched: 45 carrier-state program records across 5 carriers, with an FCC Section 214 grant overlay for AT&T (WC 25-228, WC 25-333, WC 26-120), Lumen, and Consolidated.
- FCC auto-granted AT&T’s California application (WC 26-120): portions of 360 wire centers, shut-off authorized on or after Jun 1, 2027. AT&T’s petition to preempt California COLR rules remains pending.
- FCC granted Verizon applications to discontinue legacy voice-grade and data services across nine eastern states (DA 26-436). Verizon and legacy-Frontier territories join the tracker at the next data refresh.
- Core provisions of FCC 26-19 took effect: the federal copper-retirement filing, public-notice, and objection process is eliminated; carriers self-publish notices.
Use this data
The dataset behind this page is downloadable as JSON and licensed CC BY 4.0 — cite "CHNLSYNC Copper Retirement Tracker" with a link to this page. Methodology, sources, and known limits are documented on the methodology page. Corrections are welcome: if you have a filing we missed, tell us and we will verify it against the FCC record.
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