A federal judge denied AT&T’s bid to block California’s Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) rules—meaning AT&T must keep offering “basic” phone service in the state while the case continues. AT&T says it spends $1B/year maintaining an aging copper network; California says the rules are tech-neutral and AT&T can meet obligations via fiber, wireless, or VoIP. Dealers should prepare for home phone migrations ahead of June 1, 2027.

AT&T is moving closer to retiring its copper phone network in California after FCC approval for the next phase affecting roughly 184,000 customers. Copper service can continue until it’s discontinued on or after June 1, 2027, with customers transitioning to AT&T Phone-Advanced (fiber or wireless-based) that aims to remain compatible with home phones, fax, security systems, and medical monitoring. Dealers should prepare a compatibility checklist and offer backup connectivity.

If over a third of households in one U.S. region still keep landlines, that’s not old-fashioned behavior—it’s a trust signal. People keep landlines for reliability, familiarity, and emergency peace of mind. Dealers can use this to sell simple home phone alternatives: easy-to-use wireless home phone setups, backup power, large-button devices, and a written “how it works in an outage” explanation. The win is not pushing people off landlines fast—it’s replacing certainty with ce