AT&T Seeks Court Order to End Landline Service for 199,000 Californians

Context AT&T sued California in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, targeting a state rule that obligates the carrier to provide landline service to any potential customer in its wireline territory. The company also petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to overrule the state’s enforcement of that rule.

Key Facts - AT&T claims California’s regulations compel it to spend $1 billion each year maintaining a century‑old copper telephone system that now serves roughly 3 % of households in the state. - The carrier says most consumers have migrated to broadband services that are cheaper, more reliable, and use less energy. - In 2024, California recorded about 2,000 outages linked to copper‑theft, and the copper network consumes over 100 million kilowatt‑hours annually, a significant drain on the power grid. - The California Public Utilities Commission denied AT&T’s request in June to drop its Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) duty, which requires the company to keep landlines available to any customer who asks. - AT&T has already secured COLR relief in 20 of the 21 states where it operates wireline service; California remains the sole holdout.

What It Means If the FCC grants AT&T’s request, the carrier could cease landline service to the 199,000 customers identified in the lawsuit, effectively ending Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) for those households. The move would eliminate the $1 billion maintenance burden and reduce exposure to copper theft, but it would also leave a segment of the population without a traditional voice line unless alternative solutions emerge. California regulators argue the state can still require upgrades to existing copper lines, keeping the network alive.

The dispute highlights a broader industry shift toward fiber and wireless technologies, as legacy copper infrastructure becomes increasingly costly and vulnerable. Watch for the FCC’s decision and any subsequent state‑level actions that could shape the future of landline service in California.