Who Will Provide Telecom Service When Copper Networks are Gone?
Both panelists said they support fiber as the preferred technology for the transition.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2026 – The United States is in the midst of a transition from legacy copper telephone networks to modern fiber broadband infrastructure, but a labor union and an industry trade group diverged Wednesday over how that shift should be managed, and what regulatory framework should govern it.
Lynn Follansbee, vice president of strategic initiatives and partnerships at broadband trade group USTelecom, framed the transition as an overdue modernization that consumers have already embraced, arguing that outdated regulations are the primary obstacle to completing it.
"The move from legacy networks to modern networks is what we refer to as network modernization," Follansbee said. "It's essentially bringing telecommunications into the 21st century by replacing all of the antiquated copper networks with fiber broadband networks that are capable of providing consumers with the latest innovative technologies."
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She said more than 95 percent of households have already migrated to high-speed broadband networks, yet providers remain legally required to maintain copper infrastructure alongside fiber at significant cost — a burden she said ultimately falls on consumers as well.
"Compared to copper networks, which were built to provide voice service, consumers are utilizing broadband networks to get better service, allowing them to be robust participants in the internet ecosystem," Follansbee said.
Both panelists said they support fiber as the preferred technology for the transition. Hooman Hedayati, senior strategic research associate for telecom policy at the Communications Workers of America, said CWA has long encouraged employers to invest in fiber upgrades, but argued the current regulatory timeline is moving too fast without sufficient consumer protections in place.
"The currently contemplated deadline for transition around 2029 or so is unrealistic," Hedayati said. "An orderly transition requires a more thoughtful approach. We need to upgrade our regulations to ensure that the broadband infrastructure is fit for our modern networks."
What is ‘adequate replacement’?
Central to that debate is what qualifies as an adequate replacement for copper service once providers retire it. Follansbee acknowledged that fiber is not always feasible in every geography and said multiple technologies will play a role.
"We do think fiber is king, obviously, as a broadband association, but there is very reliable, fast voice service available in most places in the United States," she said.
Hedayati objected to proposals that would allow wireless or satellite service to count as equivalent fiber replacements, arguing that future funding commitments should not justify present-day service withdrawals.
"Providers should not be able to retire their copper service until the replacement networks being funded by the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment grant program are fully deployed and operational and proven that they can provide the service that they claim to provide," he said.
With billions in federal BEAD funds flowing toward broadband deployment, Hedayati also raised concerns about long-term oversight once construction is complete, calling on states to fill a regulatory void left by federal deregulation.
"The regulatory and policy environment should also be transitioning to keep up with this transition in technology," he said. "It's ever more important that as these funds are being spent, we have the regulatory environment to ensure these funds do the work for decades to come."
Follansbee said the competitive marketplace itself provides sufficient consumer protection, and that regulatory reform should focus on removing barriers rather than adding new ones.
"The regulatory and policy environment should keep up and make sure that competition is respected and make it easier for old legacy networks to simply be retired," she said.
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