The copper phone line has run into American homes since the 1800s, and it’s finally on its way out. Verizon wants to start cutting it off in nine states as soon as next month. The company has asked the FCC for permission to end traditional landline service in parts of Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.
If you still pick up a phone that plugs into the wall, this could affect you. Verizon’s request covers about 277,000 home and business lines in those states. Unless the FCC steps in, the request gets approved automatically on Saturday, September 26. Service can then start ending on or after October 23.
Why the old phone line is disappearing
Verizon says it spends billions of dollars a year keeping the old copper network running. Replacement parts are getting harder to find, and the copper itself is valuable enough that thieves steal it.
Plus, let’s face it, hardly anyone uses it anymore. Landline subscriptions across the country fell 81% between 2014 and 2024, according to The Woodbury Warbler reports from Verizon’s filing. In those nine states, fewer than 2.25% of people who could get the service still pay for it.
Verizon isn’t stopping at nine states, either. The carrier made a second filing that covers nine more states plus Washington, D.C., including New York, California, and Pennsylvania. That one affects about 750,000 more homes and businesses. Separately, AT&T expects to finish retiring its own copper network by 2029.
What your old landline does that a new one might not
That being said, while most of us rely on our smartphones and wireless devices to stay connected, there are some advantages to copper lines that our mobile phones do not have. A traditional copper line carries its own power, which is why it keeps working during a blackout. Verizon’s replacement home phone equipment runs on AA batteries rated for about 23 to 24 hours on standby.
That matters most in rural areas. The Virginia Association of Counties, which represents 94 counties, has asked the FCC to slow down. The group warns that some areas have no reliable cell or fiber service to switch to. It also points out that a wireless phone can’t call 911 once its battery dies.
Medical alert pendants and home alarm systems are another concern. Verizon’s own customer notice says its replacement supports “many” older alarm systems and medical devices, which isn’t the same as all of them.
Verizon is reassuring customers it won’t shut off your copper line unless a replacement service is available at your address. You should also get a letter with your actual cutoff date. If you rely on a medical alert device or home alarm, call the company behind it now and ask whether it works over fiber or wireless. It might be a good idea to keep spare AA batteries on hand as well.