Are Landlines Being Discontinued? What Fax Users Need to Know

What is changing in the US and UK?

Traditional copper services are being retired in some networks, but there is no single worldwide landline shutdown date. A provider may replace the connection while continuing to offer a fixed-number telephone service. The change affecting a fax depends on the service being withdrawn and the replacement actually offered at its location.

This guide covers current US and UK examples. Readers elsewhere should check their provider's notice and local regulator's guidance.

Three questions help separate the issues: is the copper connection changing, is a particular telephone service ending, and how will the office send and receive faxes afterward? A notice about one of these does not answer the other two.

What the current US and UK plans say

United States: follow the carrier and the affected location

AT&T's current explanation of its copper transition describes a plan to exit copper in the majority of its wireline footprint by the end of 2029. It says changes occur in phases and that details vary by location and service. That is not a promise that every US landline stops working in 2029.

Verizon's copper-service update describes replacement options and says disconnection will not happen before an FCC-approved replacement service is available at the customer's location. A general announcement is not the final timetable for every address.

For fax-specific next steps, use the separate AT&T fax-line retirement guide or Verizon fax-line transition guide. Keep the actual notice with the service account it concerns.

A reference to FCC Order 19-72 and its wholesale scope does not by itself establish an individual customer's disconnection date.

United Kingdom: name the network with the date

Ofcom's digital-landline guidance says BT plans to retire its old network by January 31, 2027. This applies to the BT/Openreach network; the same guidance says dates for Virgin Media O2 and KCOM have not yet been set. Digital landline service can continue after the old network is retired.

Ofcom also tells customers to discuss connected equipment and power-cut needs with their provider. A fax machine, alarm or care device must be checked against the actual replacement arrangement. Do not treat the date for one network as a deadline for every device or country.

Why a phone replacement may leave a fax question unanswered

Keeping a telephone number or being able to make a voice call does not prove that a fax transmission will complete. A physical fax machine uses an analog connection; a replacement delivered over fiber, internet telephony or wireless may require different equipment or configuration.

For the detailed device questions, use our guide to faxing over VoIP, then test the selected arrangement with the actual equipment.

Read the notice as an action list

Identify the account, number, address and service named in the notice. Ask the provider what will change, when action is required, which replacement options are available and whether other services are bundled with the affected line. Record the answer and the person responsible for the change.

Then trace what uses that line. Check the fax device, telephone extensions and any other equipment with the staff or service provider responsible for them. For fax, also record who checks incoming documents, where the number is published and what must remain possible after transition.

If keeping the existing fax number matters, check its transfer eligibility and preparation requirements before cancelling the current service or committing to a replacement. A provider's network plan does not guarantee that every number can be moved to a chosen fax service.

Choose the fax workflow before closing the old line

Decide whether staff will retain a physical device on a confirmed compatible service or use a digital sending and receiving process. Compare the actual equipment, connectivity, subscription, number and usage costs for the chosen setup, without assuming one route always costs less.

Before handover, send and receive controlled test documents. Check readability, sender identification, delivery status and access for the people who will handle incoming faxes. If a number is transferred, repeat these checks once its routing has changed. Keep the old service active until the transfer is confirmed complete, and separately confirm what cancellation will do to any remaining services.

Use the fax-line migration planning checklist to organize the people, tests and cutover sequence. A retirement notice starts that plan; purchasing a new subscription does not complete it.