Landline Phase-Out 2025–2030: Are Landlines Being Discontinued?
Traditional landlines are indeed being phased out worldwide, with major carriers and regulators in the US, UK, Canada, Europe, and Asia-Pacific all setting firm timelines (many between 2025 and 2030) to retire copper networks in favor of fiber-optic or wireless alternatives.
Users reliant on old landlines, businesses operating life-safety equipment or using traditional fax machines need practical alternatives like Fax.Plus.
Recent regulatory moves, like the FCC Order 19-72A1 in the United States and the planned switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in the United Kingdom, highlight a significant shift away from traditional landline infrastructure. This transition is driven by the demand for more reliable, cost-effective, and advanced digital communication solutions.
AT&T, for instance, has actively started phasing out copper lines in favor of fiber optic cables.
Consumers now face a clear choice, switch to digital services or potentially face higher costs and declining service quality from old infrastructure.
Why Are Traditional Landlines Being Discontinued?
Who Is Switching Off Landlines—and When?
United States
AT&T: Phased copper landline retirement underway since 2022. Most traditional landlines expected to be gone by end of 2029. Customers notified in advance; some regulatory hurdles in specific states
Verizon: Ongoing copper retirement, already completed in many urban areas. Most customers have been or will be migrated to fiber (Fios) or VoIP
Lumen: Copper phase-out scheduled since 2025 until 2030, depending on state.
United Kingdom
BT/Openreach: Stop sell of new copper lines since end of 2023. Regional migrations ongoing until 2026. Full PSTN switch-off by January 31, 2027
Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Plusnet, EE, Vodafone: All following the same switch-off timeline as BT/Openreach. Moving customers to broadband-powered (VoIP) phone services by January 2027
Canada
Bell: Copper infrastructure fully retired by 2030. Ongoing migration to fiber networks
Telus: Aggressive migration to fiber already underway. Copper decommissioning in many urban areas
Germany
Deutsche Telekom: Copper-to-IP migration completed in 2022
France
Orange: Regional copper switch-off began in 2023. Full retirement of copper lines by 2030
Nordics
Telia, Telenor: Ongoing copper shutdown, especially in urban areas. Most transitions completed or planned by 2025–2030
Australia
NBN: Copper lines decommissioned as NBN fiber rollout completes. Most regions transitioned by 2025–2030
Japan
NTT: Copper phase-out in favor of fiber and IP telephony. Ongoing, with most transitions scheduled for 2024–2027
What Happens If You Still Use a Landline?
Service Quality Degradation & Rising Costs: Remaining copper-line users face increased monthly charges.
Forced-Migration Notices: Telecom providers will notify users to transition to digital solutions or face discontinued service.
Special-Purpose Devices at Risk: Critical equipment such as alarm systems, medical alert devices, and fax machines will face compatibility issues.
Impact on Businesses & Critical Services: Businesses must adapt to ensure compliance with standards like HIPAA and PCI-DSS. Digital fax solutions, such as Fax.Plus, help maintain compliance and business continuity.
Best Alternatives to Legacy Landlines
Landlines aren't disappearing overnight, but the transition is undeniable. Act now to prevent service disruptions and escalating costs.
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