California

AT&T Sues California Over Copper Landline Mandate

The company also asked the FCC for permission to discontinue traditional phone service.

Georgina Mackie

May 21, 2026 — 2 min read

Photo of an AT&T retail location in Willow Grove, Pa., by Matt Rourke/AP.

May 21, 2026 – A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday seeks to end a state requirement forcing a major carrier to offer traditional copper-wire telephone service to new customers statewide.

AT&T filed the suit in federal court in Southern California against the California Public Utilities Commission and California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

The company argues it spends roughly $1 billion annually maintaining a copper network that now serves only 3 percent of households in its California service territory.

Post tagged in

California AT&T Rob Bonta FCC COLR

Broadband Adoption Slipping, Researchers Warn Pennsylvania Lawmakers

Cuts to federal benefits could push 233,000 households off broadband, researcher warns.

FCC Won’t Hear AT&T-Duke Pole Case Right Away

The agency ordered the companies to begin arbitration

Trump Keeps Embracing Data Centers Even as They Become Toxic in Midterm Races

The debate reflects broader tensions over technology and local impact.

Bhavin Gandecha: The Permitting Bills Won’t Fix What’s Actually Broken

Congress keeps asking how to build faster, but nobody has defined how much delay or funding variance the system will tolerate before escalation is automatic.