If you are like me, you may have never paid for a home phone. In the 20 some years since I bought my first house, I have never paid for a home phone. Now in many markets, if you want an old-fashioned landline phone, you are out of luck. Instead, AT&T and others are pushing customers to use voice over internet protocols (VOIP), aka your phone over the internet, similar to how Comcast offers home phone over its internet service.
Back in August of 2022, the FCC announced that US Telecom companies are no longer required to provide copper landline services. The old copper lines that handled phone service for years are now being replaced by fiber.
AT&T has already stopped offering DSL to new customers and instead only selling fiber. In some parts of San Diego, for example, AT&T is telling customers they need to upgrade to Fiber if they want to keep using AT&T as their home phone customer.
In Michigan, landline service is also being shut down by multiple landline companies.
AT&T has not announced when it will fully shut down its old copper network, as it seems that AT&T, like other networks, is slowly shutting down parts of its network as it rolls out fiber.
So what options do you have for a home phone after copper landlines shut down?
The good news is you can still get a home phone if you want one. Many Americans may be switching to wireless phones only, but Ooma and other VOIP companies are offering digital home phone options at prices far lower than traditional plans.
Do you still use a home phone? Or do you now just use a wireless phone? Leave us a comment and let us know.