FCC Adopts Copper Retirement, Call Center Onshoring Orders
Chairman Brendan Carr said there ‘may in fact be’ a full commission vote on the Nexstar-TEGNA merger.
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2026 – The Federal Communications Commission unanimously adopted an order aimed at easing the process of decommissioning copper networks.
The order the agency adopted eliminated some filing requirements around network changes and granted companies blanket authority to grandfather legacy copper services like voice and low-speed broadband, meaning they won’t be offered to new customers.
The FCC has to greenlight companies’ requests to discontinue legacy telecom services, an effort to ensure areas aren’t left without access to essential services. Major ISPs are eager to transition customers to other technologies, as copper doesn’t provide competitive broadband service and is expensive to maintain.
