Why are traditional copper landlines still working?

A few years back there was a rumor flying around in the telecommunications space that had people scrambling and asking, “Are landlines going away on August 2, 2022?”

This myth was centered around the misconception that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered the mass decommissioning of the traditional landline phone system to be completed by August 2, 2022. Well, that date has long passed, and landlines are still working! So, what gives?

We’re here to set the record straight about how the rumor got started. Keep reading to get the facts and tips about what to do next.

Here’s what’s actually happening to copper-wire landlines

Like many rumors, this copper wire shutdown myth has a kernel of truth buried deep within it. Bear with me as we step back in time to the 1990s, when local telephone companies had a monopoly on local telephone service. Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (or simply the 1996 Act) to open up the market and make it easier for new communication businesses to compete.

At the same time, Congress realized that the provisions in the 1996 Act would eventually become outdated because of new technology, so they made it possible for the requirements to be removed over time. Fast-forwarding to 2019, the FCC did exactly that.

For years, businesses and consumers have been moving away from traditional landlines—the plain old telephone service (POTS) provided over copper wires—and toward voice services from cable, wireless and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers. Therefore, on August 2, 2019, the FCC, in its 19-72 Memorandum Opinion and Order (Order), relieved certain local telephone companies of two outdated obligations from the 1996 Act:

1) the requirement that they offer competitors “analog voice-grade copper loops” on an unbundled basis at regulated rates
2) the requirement that they offer legacy services for resale at regulated rates

With those obligations gone, the telephone companies would no longer be subject to price caps nor would they be forced by the federal government to offer copper wire phone services (POTS). Instead, the companies would be free to migrate to the next-generation networks and services. We’re talking about technology like fiber optic cables and VoIP internet phone systems.

Of course, such a drastic change would be difficult to adapt to if it happened overnight. So, to give the affected customers and competitors time to adjust their strategies, the Order provided a three-year transition period. The day that period ended? August 2, 2022.

Where the rumors come in

While the August 2022 “deadline” was actually the end of a period given to help companies transition to a new competitive landscape, businesses and media twisted the news.

By dramatically implying that the FCC was forcing the shutdown of all copper phone services on August 2, 2022, companies hoped to scare customers into transferring off legacy landlines and switching to VoIP.

In reality, a very small number of lines—an estimated 200,000 out of 38 million—were actually affected by what was erroneously dubbed the FCC landline shutdown order 19-72. There was never any plan to have a full-scale shutdown of landlines by August 2, 2022. That’s why your landline phone still works!

A big catch: The copper sunset continues

Despite there being no mandated decommissioning of analog copper phone lines, the copper sunset is occurring. Copper phone lines are on a steep decline and headed toward what the FCC calls an “inevitable sunset.”

For most customers, having old telephone lines that send calls over copper telephone wires has become burdensome due to POTS rates increases and quality of service declines. With companies no longer required to provide copper wire phone services and price caps gone, POTS rates are skyrocketing, outages are longer and carriers are even shutting down POTS lines altogether.

News about AT&T eliminating landlines further emphasizes this new reality. In March 2022, AT&T, the nation’s largest provider of POTS, announced a plan to “reduce our copper footprint 50% by 2025.”

Then in December 2024, Susan Johnson, AT&T executive vice president and general manager of wireline transformation and global supply chain, told investors, “The bottom line is we expect to no longer provide copper-based services across the vast majority of our footprint by the end of 2029.”

Ultimately, transitioning off of POTS landlines makes good economic sense, not only for big telecoms, but also for customers. Rather than being scared into switching because of a false “forced shutdown,” businesses and homeowners should migrate over to modern phone services like VoIP because it future-proofs their phone service, saves money and offers more features.

Switch to Ooma to solve your problems with old copper lines

Ooma Office is an easy and affordable way for businesses to transition over to VoIP.

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Ooma also makes it possible for homeowners to make the switch to a VoIP phone system.