AT&T Looks to Discontinue Copper Landline Phone Service State By State

[Paula Sims]

The Illinois General Assembly approved an AT&T-backed telecom modernization bill allowing the carrier to disconnect its remaining 1.2 million landline customers in that state, the Chicago Tribune reported. The assembly overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of the legislation.

Discontinuing copper landline phone service requires both state and federal approvals. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a plan aimed at simplifying the copper, legacy service retirement process.

The FCC’s plan focuses on easing the transition to IP networks, streamlining network notification rules, eliminating rules that require service providers to dedicate capital to maintain TDM equipment and speeding up the legacy service discontinuance process.



http://www.channelpartnersonline.com/2017/07/06/att-looks-to-discontinue-copper-landline-phone-service-state-by-state/


I'm glad they passed a budget but this stuff ticked me off. With the power outages we have and the crappy reception, I want and need my landline. I'm in suburban Chicago so they won't let me off the hook. Now I need to find another internet provider.

[MyNameGoesHere]

1. I like this

About time we left the dark ages. There are ways to keep the phone up during power failures, let's hope they implement that as part of the conversion. I know it's a little different comparison but my phone system I designed at work will operate under lights out conditions. AT&T could do the same if they want happy customers. However the cost might go up at first.

[WhiteTara]

12. We have TERRIBLE cell phone service

and if we lost our land line, we wouldn't be able to conduct business!

[NCTraveler]

16. You don't need cell phone service.

That isn't what this does.

[Iggo]

13. Let's hope?

[GoCubsGo]

14. Having just dealt without phone and Internet for nearly three days, I couldn't disagree more.

AT&T forced me onto the digital telephone last year. On Wednesday morning, one of their employees, while working on another account accidentally unplugged my line from the main neighborhood box, and didn't plug it back in. Consequently, I was without phone or Internet until the technician was able to figure out the problem. It was 6 PM on Friday before I got my service back. Had I still had my old copper wire telephone, I would have at least still had phone service. This kind of crap, along with power outages are the very reasons I didn't want to give up the copper line. Now, if I want phone service during a power outage, I have to pay for an expensive battery pack that I cannot afford, and I don't want the extra clutter. Or, I have to rely on shitty cell phone service AND buy some sort of alternative charger for my piece-of-shit cell phone. (ALL cell phone service is shitty, so don't tell me to change providers.) What bullshit.

I haven't noticed any difference in quality between the digital and copper wire, either. "Dark Ages", my fat ass. This is just one more way to force a separation between us and our money.

[NCTraveler]

17. This can happen with old school phone lines.

"On Wednesday morning, one of their employees, while working on another account accidentally unplugged my line from the main neighborhood box, and didn't plug it back in."

They still use boxes. I recently had to have a line forwarded. I was shocked to find out they literally sent a guy out to a box and jumped lines.

[GoCubsGo]

21. I have never had anything like that happen with copper lines--in over 30 years.

Nor, has anyone else I know. Digital line, OTOH, less than a year.

[NCTraveler]

22. Yes, human error as you describe can happen.

On top of that, the boxes in our area are so old that water intrusion has become a serious problem.

[GoCubsGo]

32. So, the digital boxes are immune to water intrusions, etc.?

I doubt that.

[MyNameGoesHere]

30. Sorry

The rest of the world is digital. Buy if you like your copper, tin cans and copper wire are still readily available.

[GoCubsGo]

31. And, the tin cans and copper will be far more reliable.

And, as I said in my original post, they are not "readily available." I no longer have the choice.

[phylny]

37. You like this but you may not live in an area that has crappy cellphone service.

We will always have our landline, in case of emergencies, and especially in the summer, when vacationers jam the cellphone towers.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I was forced into using Verizon's FIOS service when the company refused to

maintain NJ's copper wires.

Not only am I paying twice as much for my landline, but during Superstorm Sandy 3+ years ago, FIOS had no service for phone and internet while my copperwire landline was quite operational.

I would give up my landline except I need it for my business.

[RobinA]

4. Same Experience

here with Sandy. We had service with our copper wire, including Internet. People around us with FIOS - not so much. Plus, we have zero cell phone reception on a good day.

[WinkyDink]

7. So are you complaining about ($$) or thankful for ("quite operational") your

landline?

[no_hypocrisy]

23. I want the arrangement I originally had with copper wire for my phone,

paying half of my monthly bill for a dial-tone, paying for EACH phonecall I make instead of a pre-purchased charge for "unlimited calls", and my "quite operational" quality of service before I was compelled to accept FIOS or a dead telephone and no internet.

[GoCubsGo]

15. Ditto. See my post above.

[HAB911]

3. The biggest complaint I've heard by those being forced to IP

is that the customer is required to replace the backup batteries when they fail. I voluntarily switched to IP when Verizon stopped maintaining their copper here in Tampa. We are now Frontier, which is another story all together.

[Historic NY]

5. FOIS which I don't use the battery went bad...

even disconnected I get a beep.

[HAB911]

6. Yep, like any UPS

[NCTraveler]

18. I recently dropped frontier and went to Spectrum for my business.

Spectrum has been great. I know business is different treatment than residential. Frontier can kiss my ass. Clearwater here.

[LiberalArkie]

8. The people without the AT&T wireline will be moving to AT&T cellular. No fax machines

no modems, no burglar alarms that use telephone lines, just telephone with an LTE connection. Don't worry there will be a data cap if you want to stream anything but DirecTV.

This is what they offer..

https://www.att.com/cellphones/att/att-wireless-home-phone.html#sku=sku7250257


AT&T will NOT be replacing the wireline with fiber. They will replace it with cellular.

[NCTraveler]

20. From their site.

https://www.att.com/home-phone/

AT&T PHONE: AT&T Phone service is provided over an Internet Protocol connection and powered by electrical power in your home. AT&T Phone service including 911 dialing, will not function during a power outage without battery backup power. It is your responsibility to purchase any necessary battery backup units for your service. Phone Unlimited North America: Includes unlimited nationwide calling within the U.S., plus calls to Canada, Mexico and U.S. Territories; otherwise, per minute rates apply. An additional per minute rate applies to international calls terminating on mobile phones.

[LiberalArkie]

34. Yep.

They are trying very hard to get rid of the outside people

[Adrahil]

9. Copper is expensive to maintain...

With fewer and fewer users, it's a whole lotta work and money for less and less benefit.

[SamKnause]

10. How will this affect those of us who live in rural areas ???

There is no cable available where I live.

There is 1 option for phone service where I live, Frontier.

I get my internet through my phone line.

My only other option is satellite and it is very expensive.

I don't have a cell phone.

I don't have cable or satellite TV.

[NCTraveler]

19. This is the question.

People can't lose a necessity like this because of profit margins.

[Kilgore]

11. Have not used it for years

We replaced our copper service with cell phones and wireless internet years ago.

Its cheaper and it works.

[RobinA]

24. It Will Work

if cellular reaches your house. I have no cellular in my house. I can't even send a text to a non-iPhone user from my house.

[Kilgore]

25. Neither could we

Until we Installed a booster we purchased from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/zBoost-ZB575-Phone-Signal-Booster/dp/B00KDZEE68/ref=sr_1_2?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1499476579&sr=1-2&refinements=p_89%3AzBoost

Now have full bars everywhere indoors. You select one matched to your provider.

[Freethinker65]

26. Chicago surburanite here. Cut my ATT land line last year.

Only calls I ever got were telemarketers, my son's school, and doctors' offices to confirm appointments. I now get everything (minus most telemarketers) on my cell. I did not want cable so I went internet only. The promotional rate just ended, so I might look for another internet provider, but my service has been remarkably good for general home use web surfing and streaming.

[mockmonkey]

27. My landline was TDS Telecom

When I finally got rid of it for a MagicJack, TDS told me that if I wanted it back I would have to go through AT@T since they had purchased the rights. I thought that was odd. Why buy something that was dying? So they bought it to dismantle it? Are they getting some kind of tax break for this? AT&T has the worst customer service ever.

[dembotoz]

28. Fax lines, alarm lines all kinds o crap

Actually been following this rather closely due to sorta a nightmare with one of my customers. The current technology is just not quite ready for prime time. Perhaps soon but not now. Anticipate wireless but no carrier is stepping up to the plate. And fax? God help u

[GoCubsGo]

35. "The current technology is just not quite ready for prime time."

Exactly right. I don't oppose switching from copper wire to fiber optics on the whole. I would just prefer that they had waited a bit until they had come up with a better, cheaper way of dealing with power outages and the like.

[dembotoz]

38. i see liablity issues for somebody

in factories there are tanks of stuff that can go boom in a big way if not treated correctly.
alarm lines are not just for break ins........

what happens when the tank goes boom and takes out a city block
or folks die in an elevator cause the emergency phone did not work

i truly do not want those lawyers knocking on my door

[area51]

29. Ugh.

I want to keep my landline.

[GoCubsGo]

33. You can keep your landline.

But, it will be fiber optic, rather than copper wire. But, unlike copper wire, it requires electricity and extra equipment, like a router. The quality is excellent--FAR superior to cellular. But, if the power goes out, you are screwed, unless you go out and buy a battery back-up, and then constantly monitor it to make sure it has power when you need it. And, hope the power comes back on before the battery runs out. What a pain in the ass.

[Thor_MN]

36. It's all been said before...