ATT ditching phone landlines

AT&T is moving aggressively to stop offering classic wired telephone service. In December 2024, the company announced that it was “actively working to exit its legacy copper network operations across the large majority of its wireline footprint by the end of 2029.” Instead of traditional copper landlines, customers will have to depend on cellular telephone service, or rely on such telecommunications technologies as voice over internet protocol, which converts the sound of voices into digital data.

Depending on where they live, erratic service can be an issue that cellular telephone users confront on a daily basis, and is one reason that there are consumers who opt to pay both monthly cell phone and landline bills.

According to a resident of Anaheim, California: “The cell signal in my area is spotty. I often spent an hour-plus on hold with calls to government agencies and insurance companies. I have to use my landline on those calls because they get dropped on my cell.”

People living in rural areas regularly confront inadequate and unreliable cellular reception. Dense forests, high winds, and mountainous terrain all pose telecommunications challenges. Unreliable signals present particular risks when a working phone is required to deal with emergencies or dial 911.