State Regulators Concerned About Verizon, Fidium Copper Retirement
AT&T met with FCC staff again urging the agency to overturn California’s carrier of last resort rules
AT&T met with FCC staff again urging the agency to overturn California’s carrier of last resort rules
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2026 – Some local governments and state telecom regulators are concerned about Verizon’s plan to retire some of its copper infrastructure.
Counties and agencies in Virginia and New Jersey told the Federal Communications Commission they feared the transition would leave rural areas without reliable voice access. The groups asked for more specific information on the locations that would lose copper service and what alternatives were available to them.
Industry groups also supported continued funding amid concerns from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr
NTIA needs new FCC coverage data before determining how many locations could qualify for another funding round
The agency is waiting on new FCC broadband coverage maps, which it expects will be released ‘soon’
Shared standards could help U.S. and allied vendors gain scale and compete in international markets