1.0Citizens Utility Boardhttps://www.citizensutilityboard.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="7U3fYxmYYP"><a href="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2025/12/02/cub-qa-att-letters-announce-end-of-landline-service-in-2027/">CUB Q&A: AT&T letters announce end of landline service in 2027</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2025/12/02/cub-qa-att-letters-announce-end-of-landline-service-in-2027/embed/#?secret=7U3fYxmYYP" width="600" height="338" title="“CUB Q&A: AT&T letters announce end of landline service in 2027” — Citizens Utility Board" data-secret="7U3fYxmYYP" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> AT&T has been mailing letters to customers announcing that it is ending “AT&T Residential Local Service,” its traditional copper landline service, a.k.a. plain old telephone service. Here’s our Q&A on what’s happening: What do the letters mean? For over a decade, the telecom giant has been making moves to phase out landline telephone service across the country. These letters represent the latest step in that process.  One letter, to current customers of AT&T’s traditional landline phone service, informs them that their service will be discontinued “on or after March 15, 2027.” Another letter–some people have reported receiving both–informs customers that as of Oct. 15, 2025, traditional landline phone service is no longer being offered to new customers and current customers cannot make changes to their existing service. (This also means current customers who move cannot get a traditional landline when they re-establish service in a new location.)  Can AT&T do this? Yes, unfortunately. The company has now received approval from state and federal officials to move forward on ending its landline service in Illinois.  For many customers traditional landlines have served as a reliable, affordable connection to family and friends as well as necessities such as 911 service, home security systems and medical monitoring devices. So CUB worked for years to block AT&T from deregulating local phone service. Here’s a brief history:  AT&T’s earliest attempts to deregulate local phone service began in a case at the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) in 2006. That led to a legal settlement between AT&T and CUB that created a series of low-cost, safe-harbor plans branded the “Consumer’s Choice” plans.   The fight then shifted to the Illinois General Assembly, where, for about a decade, CUB and other consumer advocates stopped AT&T from ending the “carrier of last resort” provision in the Illinois Telecommunications Act. That provision required AT&T to offer landline service to customers in its Illinois territory who wanted it.  However, in 2017 the General Assembly passed a rewrite of the Telecom Act that gave the green light to end landline service, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). (Note: In 2022, AT&T was fined $23 million by federal authorities for using bribery to pass the 2017 legislation.) Also in 2017, AT&T successfully lobbied to end the Telecom Act’s requirement that it offer the low-cost Consumer’s Choice plans. In the years since, AT&T has  significantly increased the cost of plain old telephone service, driving more people off landlines. This year, the FCC gave final approval to AT&T’s request to discontinue its status of being Carrier of Last Resort in Illinois, leading to the letters sent this fall. How many customers does this impact? These developments only impact AT&T landline customers. As of June of 2024, Illinois still had about 552,000 landlines–many, if not most, of those being with AT&T.   What are my options for phone service if I lose my landline? You could replace your service with digital phone service, also called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), through AT&T or another telecom company. You could also opt for cellular (wireless) service and ask to port your number to your cell phone.  What should […]https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ATT-landline-251103_Redacted-copy-610x800.png610800