AT&T Is Shutting Off Copper Phone and DSL Lines: What to Do If You Still Have Them

If you still have an AT&T landline or DSL running over copper, check your address-specific transition notice and begin planning an alternative. In its October 19, 2026 update, AT&T said it has already shut off copper service in more than 500 communities, covering more than 1.3 million locations in 18 states. It plans to move customers in about 1,500 more communities over the next year and to exit copper in most of its footprint by the end of 2029. Only about 1% of eligible customers are still on legacy copper voice service, so if you are one of them, it pays to act before AT&T sets a date for you.

How to tell if your service runs on copper

• Your phone plugs into a wall jack and works without a modem or power adapter.
• Your internet is AT&T DSL, "High Speed Internet" or an older U-verse plan with download speeds well under 100 Mbps.
• Your landline keeps working during a power outage without a battery backup unit.
• You have received a letter from AT&T about a network change or upgrade at your address.

These are clues, not proof. Ask AT&T to confirm the technology serving your address. Your AT&T bill or account page will show the exact service name.

What AT&T moves you to

Option	What it is	Best for
AT&T Fiber	Fiber internet, with home phone available	Homes where AT&T has built fiber
AT&T Phone-Advanced	A home phone that runs over wireless or fiber and keeps your number	People who only want a landline
AT&T Internet Air	5G fixed wireless home internet	DSL users in areas without fiber

AT&T says Phone-Advanced can provide lines for fax, alarm and medical monitoring devices, but compatibility is not guaranteed. Check every device with AT&T and its manufacturer before changing service. AT&T is moving wireless-covered areas first and areas where it has built fiber after that.

Alarms, fax and medical devices

Call your alarm company and the maker of any medical alert or monitoring device before your line changes. Ask whether the device needs a cellular module or a new adapter, and test it after the switch. Keep a charged cell phone handy for 911 during the changeover, and ask about battery backup because a fiber or wireless phone can stop working in a power outage.

Your options outside AT&T

You don't have to take AT&T's replacement. Depending on your address, you may be able to get cable, fiber from another company, or 5G home internet, and you can usually move your phone number to a mobile or internet phone plan. If your landline only plugs into a jack, you can also connect it to a Wi-Fi router through an internet phone service.

In rural areas with no cable or fiber, satellite is the usual fallback. Starlink uses low-Earth-orbit satellites and may be an option where wired service is unavailable. Viasat customers who order through RSINC are guaranteed at least 80 Mbps down and 3-5 Mbps up. Hughesnet may be another option, subject to address and installation eligibility.

A simple checklist

• Confirm whether your phone and internet run on copper.
• List every device that uses the line: alarm, fax, medical alert, elevator or gate phone.
• Compare AT&T's offer with other providers at your address.
• Move your number before the line is shut off, not after.
• Test 911 and every connected device once the new service is live.

RSINC has also covered AT&T's copper retirement plan and Verizon's copper landline retirement.