UPPER DELAWARE RIVER, NY & PA — Recently, customers across the country with standard landline telephones from Verizon or Frontier received a letter informing them of changes to their service. 

“We’re pleased to inform you about updates to certain traditional copper-based and time-division multiplexing services for certain customers… to enable access to newer service options that offer faster speeds and more consistent performance,” starts the letter. 

Customers who received it aren’t pleased. They’re concerned that the announcement—which heralds an attempt by Verizon and Frontier to discontinue traditional copper landlines, also known as “Plain Old Telephone Systems” (POTS)—will mean they’re left without reliable options for phone service, with an accompanying risk in emergency situations. 

The technology of the future

The story starts in Sioux Falls, SD on July 2, 2025. 

On that day, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr outlined the FCC’s Build America Agenda, a set of Trump-administration priorities to unleash high-speed infrastructure builds and regain America’s global leadership in technology through, among other things, a massive deregulatory push in the telecommunications industry. 

Among the mentioned priorities of the Build America Agenda was the decommissioning of copper telephone lines. 

“I am announcing today that the FCC will be voting later this month to start a rulemaking that will accelerate the transition from aging copper networks to the modern, high-speed ones that Americans want and deserve,” said Carr. “Our goal can be stated simply: we are aiming to free up billions of dollars for new networks, instead of forcing providers to keep investing in old ones.”

On September 9, Verizon submitted a proposal to the FCC seeking to decommission copper telephone lines for customers throughout multiple states covered by itself and by Frontier, which Verizon owns. These states include New York and Pennsylvania. 

Verizon referenced Carr’s remarks and the Build America Agenda in making its case for the decommissioning. According to Verizon, it needs to abandon its traditional copper lines in order to invest in the networks of the future. 

“Approval will drive investment toward networks of the future and reduce the need to devote resources to infrastructure of the past. Investment is essential to the Build America Agenda, which aims to ‘free up billions of dollars for new networks, instead of forcing providers to keep investing in old ones,’” writes Verizon, quoting Carr. “Keeping resources locked up in old copper based POTS networks will thwart unleashing that investment.”

Another shot of the old phone. Still works. But why is the photo sort of faded?

RR photo by Joe Cooke

What counts as coverage?

The filing includes assurances that customers who currently have copper land lines will be taken care of. 

“Because it makes no sense to maintain a ubiquitous, costly legacy network that customers have largely abandoned, we seek to transition customers to modern services provided by Verizon or another provider. We will work to ensure that this is a smooth transition for copper-based POTS customers in the discontinuance area,” wrote Verizon. 

According to the filings, Verizon will discontinue copper-based landline service only where customers can still get adequate service from Verizon or from one of 10 competitors. The replacement options include broadband cable or fiber internet-based VoIP phone service, fixed point access wireless service or mobile wireless service. 

Some residents of the states targeted for discontinuance have raised issues with the idea that these other forms of service could provide adequate replacement. 

In a letter filed with the FCC, Neversink residents David Brittenham and Carolyn Summers emphasized the lack of alternative coverage for their home. 

“We do have Verizon wireless mobile ‘cell’ phones, but there is no coverage inside our house, or anywhere nearby outdoors. A Verizon fixed wireless connection thus would not be feasible for our location,” they wrote. “The Verizon wireless coverage map for our area is wildly inaccurate, as is the FCC’s National Broadband Map that is based on Verizon’s reported wireless coverage.” 

Other connection options—including satellite and cable—are either unreliable or prohibitively expensive, or both, they said. 

“A POTS landline connection doesn’t require the new, expensive equipment that an alternative may require. Moreover, POTS landline service is far cheaper than either Verizon’s own FIOS fiber service or its wireless service plans,” they wrote. “Customers should not be penalized by Verizon’s desire to save money and upsell its customers on more expensive connection alternatives, which many of them can’t afford.”

Verizon, in its filings, claims that its baseline POTS system costs $20 to $30 per month, and that comparable replacement plans cost between $10 and $40 per month (all prices not including fees). 

And the reactions continue

Thomas Steed, chairman of the board for the Association of BellTel Retirees (an organization representing telecommunications retirees) wrote a letter to the FCC claiming the drop to copper lines is an excuse to eliminate the jobs of the union technicians who maintain the system. 

“A public service corporation like Verizon and AT&T should be serving the public, not just shareholders,” wrote Steed. “This is a naked ploy to increase profits by forcing customers into expensive bundle packages, an entirely unappealing prospect for elderly citizens, poor or working-class families who don’t need or want more bells and whistles. It would also result in major job losses, since telecom emplioyees—most of whom are union represented—maintain the landline infrastructure. This is an attempt by the company to claim it no longer needs this loyal workforce.”

Area elected officials have expressed concern at the news. New York State Assembly Member Joe Angelino called on the FCC to hold public hearings in areas that will be impacted, noting that 40 percent of New York homes still have landlines. 

“In areas such as rural upstate New York, many folks still use a landline for their communications due to the unreliable nature of rural cell service,” said Angelino. “For a decision that will impact so many people, multiple public hearings are needed to ensure the people’s voices are heard.”

Assembly Member Paula Kay said that she is monitoring the situation and told residents to call her office with concerns about the change.

“Verizon’s decision to discontinue copper-based landline telephone service in New York is troubling and concerning,” said Kay. 

Speaking at Sullivan Volunteers’ award luncheon on Thursday, September 24, Kay reiterated that her office is working on the issue. 

“Please do not lose sleep over this,” she said. “My office has contacted Verizon and the Public Service Commission. We’re going to be holding a forum. Nothing is happening imminently, and when we know that [in] Sullivan County right now there are a lot of places that does not have reliable cell service. In those locations, your landline is going to remain. We’re starting to work on this, but just again, don’t lose sleep over this.”

Additional reporting for this article contributed by Patrick Kelly. 

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