California businesses that still rely on copper phone lines are caught in the middle of a fight that could decide how, and how fast, those lines disappear. At the center of it is AT&T’s preemption petition: a request asking the Federal Communications Commission to override California rules that have made it hard to retire copper. The California Public Utilities Commission wants to stop that petition from succeeding. Understanding this fight, and understanding it now, matters for any business whose alarms, elevators, fax lines, or point of sale systems still depend on POTS line replacement being handled correctly rather than left to chance.
Inside AT&T’s Preemption Petition
AT&T has filed several related requests with federal regulators. The company asked the FCC for approval to discontinue legacy copper voice service at roughly 360 wire centers across California, affecting around 184,000 residential customers and 15,000 business customers. The FCC approved that discontinuance request on June 29, 2026, with a proposed service end date of June 1, 2027 or later.
Separately, AT&T filed a broader Preemption Petition (WC Docket 26 125) asking the FCC to rule that California’s stricter carrier of last resort requirements are preempted by federal law. AT&T also sought forbearance from its eligible telecommunications carrier obligations (WC Docket 26 123). Together, these filings would let AT&T step away from its long-standing duty to provide basic phone service throughout the state, clearing the path for faster copper retirement statewide.
Where the CPUC Stands
The CPUC has pushed back hard. It filed formal opposition comments with the FCC, argued in court that the Communications Act does not give federal regulators authority to override state utility rules, and has separately sued the FCC over the copper retirement rules it adopted in March. The CPUC has also questioned whether AT&T’s proposed replacement, AT&T Phone Advanced, is an adequate substitute for copper, and says AT&T has not clearly identified every location that would be affected.
Consumer advocacy groups have joined the opposition. TURN, The Utility Reform Network, argues that AT&T has not shown its wireless replacement will reliably work in the state’s most remote areas, and warns that approving AT&T’s petitions before California completes its own investigation could leave customers, particularly older residents, low-income households, and rural communities, with service gaps during emergencies.
Why the Preemption Petition Matters Beyond California
This is not just a California story. A win for AT&T at the FCC would set a national precedent: it would signal that federal preemption can be used to override state-level protections for copper retirement anywhere carriers face similar rules. Businesses in other states with strong carrier of last resort protections should expect their own regulators, and their own carriers, to watch this outcome closely.
For any business still running fire alarms, elevator phones, fax machines, or security systems over copper, the practical risk is the same regardless of how the FCC rules: the timeline for an orderly transition keeps getting less certain. Waiting for regulators to fully resolve the fight is not a plan. Confirming which of your lines are copper, and lining up a compliant replacement before a wire center notice arrives, is.
What To Do Now
Whichever way the FCC ultimately rules on AT&T’s Preemption Petition, copper retirement in California, and likely nationwide, is accelerating rather than slowing down. Businesses that depend on POTS lines for life safety systems and legacy equipment should treat this as a planning deadline, not a legal footnote.
DataRemote built POTS IN A BOX® for exactly this transition. It keeps fire alarms, elevators, and fax lines compliant and online during copper retirement, without adding IT overhead or waiting on a carrier’s timeline. Read more in our related post, Copper Network Retirement: POTS IN A BOX® Is Your Solution, or reach out to talk through your specific wire centers and deadlines.
