FCC copper retirement rules, explained

Two different FCC processes are involved when a phone company moves off copper: one for the network, one for the service you pay for. The 2026 rules changed both. Here is what each one means for a business.

Updated October 15, 2026 · Twisted VoIP

Two processes: the network and the service

Copper retirement notice (the network). When a local phone company replaces copper wires with fiber or removes them, it gives notice under 47 CFR 51.325 to 51.335. That notice goes to the other carriers connected to its network, not to you. The FCC has said its rules impose no obligation to notify end users of a copper retirement; carriers tell customers as a matter of practice.
Section 214 discontinuance (the service). To stop, reduce or impair a service it sells, such as business phone lines, the company needs FCC permission under section 214 of the Communications Act and 47 CFR 63.71. This is the filing that can end the service on your bill, and it is the one our timeline and town pages track.

Retiring the copper does not by itself let a company stop your service. If moving off copper means discontinuing a service, it still needs section 214 permission.

What changed in 2026

The FCC adopted its Network and Services Modernization Order (FCC 26-19) on March 26, 2026. Parts took effect May 20, 2026; the changes to the notice and discontinuance rules took effect October 15, 2026, after federal paperwork review. In short:

Discontinuance applications are now granted automatically on the 31st day after the FCC's public notice unless the FCC says otherwise. Large incumbent carriers used to wait 60 days.
Customers still have 15 days after the public notice to file a comment or objection with the FCC.
The old "adequate replacement test" was replaced by a certification: the company must show that at least one replacement voice option, such as interconnected VoIP or mobile wireless at 5/1 Mbps or faster, is available at every affected location.
Companies can stop selling a service to new customers (grandfathering) without filing, but must tell existing customers the approximate end date and their alternatives.
Copper retirement notices now go directly to connected carriers at least 90 days ahead (15 days where the copper serves no customers), without an FCC filing.
State or local rules that would keep the old service running after the FCC approves its discontinuance are preempted.

Sources: FCC 26-19, Federal Register, April 20, 2026, FCC section 214 discontinuance guide.

What notice a business gets

Before applying to discontinue service, the phone company must send every affected customer written notice; email counts. The notice names the company, the service, the areas affected, the date, and how to comment to the FCC within 15 days, with the docket number for technology transitions. The state utility commission, the Governor and others are notified too.

There is no fixed long lead time for customers: the application is filed on or after the day customers are notified, and it can be granted about a month after the FCC's public notice. In practice the date in the application is often months later, and the company may also send its own letters with a target date. Treat any letter about your lines as the start of your plan, not a warning to file away.

Automatic grant is not guaranteed. On September 25, 2026 the FCC removed Verizon's application in docket 26-227 from automatic grant for more review (DA 26-1038).

How to read a filing

Docket number (for example 26-192): the FCC's file for the application. Every comment and order is in it on the FCC's ECFS system.
Services: which services stop. Residential and business lines are often separate filings.
Area: either named wire centers or "portions of" a state "as specified in the application". Portions filings don't list addresses, so a line in a covered town may or may not be included.
Date: the company asks to stop service "on or after" this date. It is the earliest date, not a promise of when your line changes.

Each filing page on our site shows the docket, its dates and the towns it may cover.

How to comment or object

You can file a comment in the docket on the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) within the comment period, usually 15 days after the FCC's public notice. Explain which lines you have, what they are used for (for example a fire alarm or elevator phone), and why the listed replacements don't work for you yet. Objections don't automatically stop an application, but the FCC reviews them before deciding whether to let it grant automatically.

State rules

Some states have their own requirements, such as California's carrier of last resort rules and Illinois' process for customers without an alternative. The 2026 FCC order preempts state rules that would keep a service running after the FCC authorizes its discontinuance, so expect those to be argued in court. Ask your state utility commission what still applies where you are.

Is your line on a filing?

Questions

How much notice do customers get before copper phone service ends?

Customers must get written notice before the phone company applies to the FCC. The application can then be granted automatically on the 31st day after the FCC's public notice unless the FCC steps in, and customers have 15 days to comment. The date in the application is often later, but there is no fixed months-long notice period.

Is it true phone companies only have to give 90 days' notice?

The 90-day notice in the 2026 rules is for copper retirement notices to other carriers connected to the network, not to customers. Ending a service needs a separate section 214 application with its own customer notice.

Can the FCC say no?

Yes. The FCC can remove an application from automatic grant and review it, as it did with Verizon's docket 26-227 in September 2026, and it can attach conditions or deny it.

Related guides

General information, not legal or code advice. Requirements depend on your state, your local authority and your equipment.