AT&T Wins FCC Approval to End Landline Obligations in California

The Federal Communications Commission approved AT&T's petition last week to relinquish its carrier-of-last-resort status in California. The approval potentially allows the company to discontinue traditional landline phone service in the state beginning June 2027. AT&T has spent years moving customers from its copper-wire network to fiber, wireless and internet-based services.

The company stated that only about 3 percent of households in California still use its landline service. It cited rising costs of maintaining aging infrastructure, copper theft and network outages as reasons for ending the service. AT&T said it would ensure no customer loses access to voice or 911 service during the transition.

The company stated it is taking a thoughtful, phased approach to upgrade customers, according to a statement issued in May. Newsweek reported that the Rural County Representatives of California warned earlier this year that ending landline service could leave hundreds of thousands of Californians with limited access to 911.

Traditional phone lines can remain operational during power outages when cellular networks lose service.

According to the CDC's 2024 National Health Interview Survey, almost 20 percent of U.S. households used landline services alongside wireless phones. The survey found that 0.9 percent of households relied on landlines only, equating to about 3 million people.

Adults aged 65 and older showed higher reliance, with 4.3 percent using landlines only compared to less than 1 percent in younger age groups. Geography and income also correlated with usage. Residents in the Northeast had the highest share of mostly landline use at 3.8 percent, while 2.6 percent of adults below the federal poverty threshold relied on landlines only.