Verizon is once again urging the Federal Communications Commission to approve the carrier’s plan to retire copper-based landlines in nine US states. But this time, the company says it’s clearly notified which concerned customers will retain their landlines, and which won’t.
In the Friday letter to the FCC, Verizon says it’s even resorted to “individual outreach” when the copper retirement proposal has sparked opposition and concern from affected residents and communities. “Verizon government affairs and policy team members are calling each identified customer in these states who expressed concern about the discontinuance in this (FCC) docket or to Verizon,” the carrier wrote.
The letter arrives two weeks after the Commission paused the company’s copper retirement plan for the US states, including Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. The FCC merely said “the Commission requires additional time to complete its review.” But intense opposition from affected customers and municipalities likely played a role. A key concern is that Verizon’s replacement option to use cellular coverage will saddle rural and remote areas with spotty service, a downgrade from the aging, but reliable copper networks.
Prior to the pause, Verizon had told the FCC that the old-school copper networks will remain in place for areas where its replacement solution falls short of Commission standards. Verizon also clarified that not every customer who received a notice about the copper retirement plan would lose their traditional landline service.
Friday’s letter indicates that the carrier has already personally told some affected customers not to worry. This includes reaching out to residents who filed comments to the FCC protesting the copper phase-out.
“Among the identified customers that we have contacted so far who commented in the FCC docket, Verizon was able to determine that the Application did not apply to roughly 43 percent and informed those customers accordingly,” the company wrote. “For the subset of the remaining roughly 57 percent of commenters that Verizon was able to reach, Verizon representatives addressed the concerns identified in the record and any others raised during the call, including providing detailed information about the reliability and functionality of Verizon’s Voice Connect solution,” which uses a wireless signal.
The letter adds that Verizon sent a notification to “all copper POTS (Plain old telephone service) customers who do not have access to an adequate replacement option identified by the Application, and this letter confirms that they will stay connected to Verizon’s POTS network today just as they always have been.”
In addition, Verizon says it’s preparing to hold a meeting in Virginia next month “to provide further information about the discontinuance process,” weeks after US Rep. Ben Cline (R-Virginia) sent his own letter to the FCC, noting “large portions of my district remain cellular dead zones, where the mobile wireless devices offered as a substitute are unreliable or do not work at all.”
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For customers who will lose their landlines, Verizon is indicating there’s a chance it could keep the copper network in place if the carrier’s review shows the replacement solution coming up short. “If a customer transitions to a replacement service but it is determined within one month of the transition through a Verizon professional review that the Commission approved replacement service is unavailable at the location, Verizon will restore the customer’s service over copper facilities and maintain that service until an adequate replacement solution is identified and available,” the carrier said.
Still, some affected consumers continue to file comments to the FCC, urging intervention. “If Verizon discontinues copper wire phone lines, our family will not have access to emergency services if the power goes out, which happens frequently. There is NO cell service on our property,” wrote one user.
Verizon has also filed a proposal with the FCC to retire copper networks across 9 other US states, including California, Michigan and New York. It looks like the Commission already automatically greenlit the company’s plan to retire the copper networks in 13 other US states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. The company wants to remove the copper lines, citing their cost and how most consumers have moved on from using them.
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Michael Kan
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Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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