How the FCC's Copper Retirement Rules Are Accelerating POTS Replacement

The FCC’s March 2026 Network and Services Modernization Order promised to accelerate copper retirement. Here’s what’s happened since.

On March 26, 2026, the FCC adopted the Network and Services Modernization Order, eliminating key regulatory barriers to copper retirement. Months later, the effects are becoming visible. Here is what has actually changed for POTS replacement MSPs.

What the Order Did

The order made three changes that matter for MSPs.

First, it streamlined the Section 214 discontinuance process. The automatic grant period for all carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, Frontier, and Lumen, is now 31 days, down from 60 days for dominant carriers. This halves the regulatory timeline between filing and approval.

Second, it introduced grandfathering without filing. Carriers can now grandfather legacy voice and low-speed broadband services on copper through customer notification alone, with no Section 214 application required. A formal filing is only needed for full service retirement, meaning carriers can begin winding down copper services faster and with less administrative overhead.

Third, it preempted state-level barriers. State and local laws that previously delayed or conditioned copper retirements after federal authorization are now preempted. States can participate in the FCC review process, but they can no longer independently block retirements. For MSPs operating across multiple states, this creates a more predictable regulatory environment.

What's Changed

AT&T Moved First

AT&T began decommissioning copper in approximately 500 wire centers in June 2026, roughly 10% of its network footprint. This was the first major wave of permanent copper decommissioning under the new framework. Simultaneously, AT&T filed to discontinue POTS services for approximately 90,000 customers across 18 states, with an effective date of November 15, 2026.

The pace is notable. Before the March order, AT&T was filing discontinuance applications for individual wire centers. Now it is filing for hundreds at a time.

Verizon Expanded Its Filing Footprint

Verizon's copper retirement, which began in New York and Massachusetts in 2024, has expanded under the new framework to include switch retirements in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The 90-day customer notice is now the sole remaining regulatory step between Verizon's retirement decision and service termination.

For MSPs in the Northeast corridor, this means Verizon retirement activity is accelerating on a shorter timeline than previously expected.

The 90-Day Notice Is Now the Only Gate

This is the most practical change. Previously, copper retirement involved multiple regulatory checkpoints, including network change disclosures, Section 214 filings with 60-day review periods, and potential state-level challenges. Now, the carrier decides to retire, sends a 90-day customer notice, coordinates with 911 authorities, and proceeds.

For businesses still relying on copper POTS lines, the timeline from notice to disconnection has effectively compressed from 6 to 12 months down to 90 days.

What This Means for POTS Replacement MSPs

Demand Is Accelerating

More carrier filings, faster approvals, and shorter notice periods mean more sites need POTS replacement sooner. MSPs with the capacity to deploy quickly will capture this demand. Those with slow procurement cycles or complex SIM provisioning processes will lose deployments to faster competitors.

Your Connectivity Model Determines Your Capacity

The bottleneck is rarely the hardware. ATAs like the DataRemote CDS-9090 ship quickly and install in under an hour. The bottleneck is connectivity: sourcing SIMs, activating them across multiple carrier portals, and managing ongoing billing and monitoring.

MSPs using retail carrier SIMs face this friction on every deployment. MSPs using multi-carrier, utility-priced connectivity can activate SIMs from a single portal, scale up or down without contracts, and carry zero cost on inventory that is not yet deployed.

The Next 90 Days Will Be Bigger

AT&T's November 2026 filing covers 90,000 customers across 18 states. Verizon's expanded filings are working through the 90-day notice cycle now. Lumen's site-level eviction notices continue rolling through its 14-state ILEC footprint.

By September 2026, the combined volume of copper retirements across all three carriers will be measurably higher than any prior quarter. The MSPs that have their connectivity model in place now will be ready for it.