Verizon Seeks to Retire Copper Landlines for 277,000 Customers

Verizon is seeking federal approval to end traditional copper-wire home phone service for about 277,000 residential and business lines in parts of nine states. The proposed change could begin as soon as October 23, 2026, if regulators allow it.

The service is commonly called plain old telephone service, or POTS. Verizon’s request covers portions of Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.

The Federal Communications Commission invited public comments on the application, with a deadline of September 10. Its notice says the request may take effect automatically on September 26 unless the FCC intervenes. That is permission to discontinue the service, not a requirement that every customer lose a landline on that date.

Verizon says affected customers will have at least one alternative voice service available, such as fiber, cable or mobile wireless. The company says it will keep existing copper voice service where no approved replacement is available, and will notify customers before a transition.

Some customers may be able to keep their phone number and use their existing handset with Verizon’s wireless-based Voice Connect service. Verizon says its fiber and fixed-wireless replacement equipment includes battery backup, though customers should check how their phones and connected devices will work during an outage.

Verizon argues that copper lines are costly to maintain, vulnerable to theft and damage, and increasingly difficult to repair as equipment becomes obsolete. Retiring them would let the company shift spending toward fiber and wireless networks, while customers may need to review compatibility for alarms, medical devices and other equipment that uses a landline.

The proposal is separate from another Verizon filing covering copper phone service in nine additional states and Washington, D.C. That September filing concerns roughly 750,000 locations and has a later proposed start date, November 30, underscoring that copper retirement is proceeding through multiple applications.